KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — Army Western Field Commander Lieutenant-General Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman has been appointed as the new Chief of the Defence Force, effective tomorrow (Feb 1).
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, had consented to Malek Razak being promoted to the rank of General and then appointed as the Chief of Defence Force.
“This appointment is made in line with the recommendation of the 633rd (Special) Armed Forces Council meeting held on Jan 29, and subsequently received the consent of His Majesty on Jan 30,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamed Khaled said that Malek Razak holds a Diploma in Strategic and Security Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College London and a Master of Social Science (Defence Studies) from UKM.
Malek Razak began his military career in 1985 as an Overseas Cadet Officer at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, United Kingdom, and was commissioned on Dec 11, 1987, with the rank of Second Lieutenant.
Mohamed Khaled said that Malek Razak began his career as a platoon commander with the 21st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment and served in various units, holding numerous command and staff appointments.
“His last post before this appointment was Western Field Commander of the Army,” he said.
He added that over nearly 40 years of service, Malek has demonstrated exceptional capability, leadership and excellence.
“Based on his extensive experience and proven credibility, the Ministry of Defence is confident this appointment will strengthen the leadership and capabilities of the Armed Forces in addressing national defence challenges.
“It will also help restore and reinforce the Armed Forces’ prestige through leadership founded on integrity and professionalism, in addition to maintaining the public’s confidence in the country’s defence institution,” he added. — Bernama
