He said the military faced an outflow of about 5,000 personnel annually, making continuous recruitment necessary.

“We need to add defence personnel to fill that gap. New recruitment is necessary, and youths are the main target,” he told FMT.

Adly said the ministry was using social media to project a more modern image of the armed forces, including developments in defence assets that resonated with the younger generation.

“We are using social media to showcase a youth-oriented image and the modernisation of defence assets. Many of today’s assets resonate with the young, including elements of technology and e-sports,” he said.

Adly said the ministry was also working with public influencers and young armed forces personnel to promote careers in defence.

“They can share their real experiences and act as a voice for the ministry and the armed forces,” he said.

Adly said the key challenge was not just recruitment, but ensuring young people had clear information about career pathways, future prospects and the benefits of joining the armed forces.

He said outreach efforts had also been expanded to schools, higher learning institutions and Universiti Pertahanan Nasional, which offers programmes related to defence and technology.

He acknowledged that recruitment challenges differed by location, particularly in urban areas where alternative job opportunities were more abundant.

“In urban areas such as Selangor, there are more job opportunities in factories and other sectors. So a career in defence may be the fourth or last choice for some youths,” he said.

Adly said the ministry was placing strong hopes on the National Service Training Programme as a platform to identify and channel young talent into the armed forces.

“This year, we are targeting 9,000 participants, and nearly 25,000 next year. Most of them are young people, and we will encourage them to consider joining the armed forces,” he said.