His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim calls for integrity as the cornerstone of military leadership, stressing that trust and national sovereignty depend on a culture rejecting corruption.

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has declared that a culture of rejecting corruption and abuse of power must be the cornerstone of leadership within the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).

The King stated that the strength of a defence force does not depend solely on assets and technology but is also grounded in the values of integrity.

“Integrity, transparency and accountability are important foundations to ensure that the MAF remains respected and trusted by the people,” His Majesty said in a post on the Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar Facebook page.

He added that all MAF members must maintain high discipline and make the principle of rejecting corruption a continuous work culture for the sake of the nation’s sovereignty and interests.

The advice was conveyed when His Majesty granted an audience to the newly appointed Chief of Defence Force (CDF), General Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman, at Istana Negara.

Sultan Ibrahim also reminded the top leadership of the MAF to always prioritise the welfare of personnel while enhancing defence capabilities in line with current security challenges.

His Majesty expressed confidence that Malek Razak would be able to shoulder the responsibility with full dedication.

Malek Razak, who was previously the Western Field Commander of the Army, was appointed as the 24th CDF effective February 1.

He holds a Diploma in Strategic and Security Studies and a Master of Social Sciences (Defence Studies) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College London.

 The Sun Malaysia