Total Military Personnel: 136,000
Total Military Expenditure: $USD 3.67 billions
Military Expenditure as a percentage of GDP: 0.96%
Military Expenditure as a percentage of total Global expenditure: 0.15%

The ‘Know Your Region’ series is designed to support unit and individual professional military education on the South East Asian region. It’s important for all serving members of our military to have a foundational knowledge of the countries and issues in the Indo-Pacific.

MALAYSIA – MILITARY

On this page:

  • Military Capability
  • Defence White Paper
  • Security Cooperation

 

Military Capability

The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) have approximately 115,000 active-duty troops with another 50,000 in reserve. Consisting of three branches, namely the Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia, RMA) with 80,000 troops, Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, RMN) with nearly 18,000 personnel, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, RAMF) with close to 17,000 personnel on active duty. The Supreme Commander of the MAF is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia).

The MAF were created from the unification of military forces which arose during the first half of the 20th century when Malaya and Singapore were the subjects of the British Empire. After Malaya achieved independence in 1957, the primary objective of the armed forces shifted to defending the country's sovereignty and protecting it from all threats. It is responsible for assisting civilian authorities to overcome international conflicts, preserve public order, assist in natural disasters, and participate in national development programs. There is no conscription and the age of voluntary military service is 17 years and six months – though it can be younger with parental consent – and there is mandatory retirement at the age of 60.

Working alongside the Ministry of Home Affairs which runs the Royal Malaysian Police (PRMD) responsible for the paramilitary General Operations Force with a variety of roles such as patrolling borders, counterterrorism, maritime security, and counterinsurgency. There is also a Malaysian Coast Guard (MMEA). In 2016, Malaysia created a National Special Operations Force for combating terrorism threats. It is comprised of personnel from the Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. The following video provides the facts needed to answer the question: how powerful is Malaysia?

In 2016 Malaysia's military expenditure sat at 1.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) but dropped the next year to 1.1% of GDP, where it has stayed for the last few years. Malaysian forces field a diverse array of imported weapons systems. Since 2010, the top suppliers of military hardware come from France, Germany, Spain, and Turkey.

Since the country's recovery from the 1997 economic crisis, the Malaysian Army's modernisation programme has gained momentum. With the acquisition of Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Personnel Carriers, Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and modern artillery making their Army one of the more potent powers in the region.

Following the completion of the New Generation Patrol Vessel program, the Royal Malaysian Navy moved to the next program called Second Generation Patrol Vessel. Malaysia is also looking to purchase more submarines as well as a batch of Littoral Mission Ships and Multi Role Support Ships. In addition, an upgrade and Service Life Extension Programme for the older ships will keep the fleet modern with the latest technology needed.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force has traditionally looked to the West for its purchases, primarily to the United States and Europe. However, limitations imposed by the United States on 'new technology' to the region made RMAF consider purchases from Russia and other non-traditional sources. Currently, RMAF operates a unique mix of American, European, and Russian-made aircraft. For a look into MAF’s modernisation efforts, watch the next video.

After independence, Malaysia moved forward by establishing and developing their own defence industry. The country has improved their defence industry through their locally manufactured and produced weapons such as ammunitions, rifles, armoured cars, warships, light aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles for the armed forces. DefTech, Mildef International Technologies, and Weststar Defence Industries are local companies that specialise in the manufacturing and maintenance of military land vehicles and the automotive sector. Sapura focuses more on military electronics and systems integration such as communication, tactical, command and control, training and simulation, and surveillance.

With its vast maritime area, Malaysia has had a great shipbuilding industry since the Malacca Sultanate empire pioneered shipbuilding in the Southeast Asian region. Nowadays, Malaysia owns a lot of shipbuilding companies with great expertise and facilities. Through local companies, such as Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation, Destini Berhad, TH Heavy Engineering, and Gading Marine, Malaysia can build their own major surface combatants and combat boats. In addition, local companies such as Labuan Shipyard and Engineering and Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering can execute minor and major maintenance and overhaul to the naval grade vessels without needing to send them overseas. This ability was well demonstrated with the Scorpène-class submarine upgrade completed successfully by Boustead at the base in Labuan, Sabah.

The country also has its own defence technology research statutory board. Coming under the Ministry of Defence, the Science Technology Research Institute for Defence is responsible for performing research and development for the use of Malaysian Armed Forces. To learn about the importance of the Strait of Malacca, check out the following video.

The main theatres of operation have been within Malaysian borders. Primarily in fighting an insurgency led by the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) in the Emergency from 1948 to 1960. To learn more about the civil war and Australian Defence Force’s involvement, see the Special Issue. The only foreign incursion of Malaysian territory in modern times was in World War II by Japan and during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation when former Indonesian President Sukarno directed an invasion from 1963 to 1966. Operations on foreign soil have mainly been peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). The Malaysian Armed Forces are currently deployed in Lebanon as part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon mission. For more information on MAF’s capability, access the resources below.

 

Defence White Paper

Kuala Lumpur’s first Defence White Paper (DWP) was released in December 2020. It frames the defence vision for a secure, sovereign, and prosperous Malaysia. The purpose and objectives of the DWP aim to embody the Government of Malaysia's aspiration in strengthening their national defence and formulating directions, as well as strategic priorities for security.

Outlining the country's strategic outlook and specific defence strategy before setting forth the future of MAFs with an emphasis on the participation of civil society (Rakyut). As a statement of both intent and capability, this historical document considers the presence and position of the defence sector, within the whole-of-government frameworks to ensure that the White Paper continues to be in harmony with the agenda of Kuala Lumpur.

The DWP underscores three key messages: do not take the national security for granted, the Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approaches are central to national defence, and non-alignment and shared security are the basis of Malaysia's Credible Partners. It also seeks to serve three purposes: engage the public and relevant stakeholders, evaluate the ever-changing strategic environment, and explore approaches to enhance Malaysia's defence capability and readiness. To learn more about the White Paper, access the following recap.

The Government further outlines a three-pillar defence strategy to protect Malaysia's interests: Concentric Deterrence, Comprehensive Defence, and Credible Partnerships. They are interrelated and mutually reinforcing, involving different participants, purposes, and processes. The Paper notes Malaysia's strategic location and natural resources have been both a blessing and a challenge. As a relatively small nation with two territories split between the vast Pacific and Indian Oceans, Kuala Lumpur faces big power politics and a range of non-traditional security threats on the Malay Archipelago. This means preparing the MAF to operate simultaneously in two theatres. The Malaysian Government views defence and security as all-encompassing. The inaugural White Paper represents Kuala Lumpur's firm commitment to Malaysia's resilience and capacity to protect national interests, particularly to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. To learn more about MAF’s vision in the inaugural White Paper, access the following resources.

 

Security Cooperation

The British defence guarantee ended following the United Kingdom's decision in 1967 to withdraw all forces East of Suez. It was replaced in 1971 with the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA), by which Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore agreed to co-operate in the area of defence and to 'consult' in the event of external aggression or the threat of attack on Malaysia or Singapore. In addition to improving the knowledge, skills, and professionalism of the military personnel, the Five powers have also enhanced MAF's defence capability and preparedness.

The FPDA was founded to prepare for conventional warfare through developing doctrine as well as conducting scheduled military training and exercises to increase interoperability among member nations. Currently, Five Powers is exploring ways to enhance cooperation in the non-traditional sphere such as maritime security, counter terrorism, high availability disaster recovery, and cyber security. This will increase the FPDA's continued relevancy to its three main principles, in which it is expected to: maintain a non-threatening posture to avoid rousing sensitivities; proceed at a pace comfortable to all its members with due cognisance to multilateral, bilateral, and national sensitivities, and continually develop and evolve to remain relevant.

The FPDA continues to operate and have a permanent Integrated Area Defence System based at RMAF Butterworth Air Base and organise annual naval and air exercises. Joint exercises and war games have previously been held with Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States. Other countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam have agreed to host joint security force exercises to secure their maritime borders and tackle issues including illegal immigration, piracy, and smuggling. In past years there were fears extremist militant activities in the Muslim areas of the southern Philippines and southern Thailand would spill over into Malaysia, inducing an increase in border security by armed forces.

The regional security initiative has now been in place for almost 40 years. To see footage of an FPDA Joint Naval Exercise, check out the next video.

The third pillar of Malaysia's Defence White Paper concerned international defence engagement and looks to expand Malaysia's Credible Partnerships. Establishing and maintaining foreign relations that have been shaped through defence cooperation with other countries is a practice and tradition of the Malaysian Armed Forces.

The partnerships serve Malaysia's defence interests by shaping a conducive external environmental and security relations, boosting the nation's defence capability building, and strengthening ASEAN centrality for regional stability and prosperity. Aiming to maximise the nation's potential as a bridging linchpin between the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. This, in turn, will further support other pillars of national defence strategy, namely Concentric Deterrence and Comprehensive Defence. Believing that bilateralism and multilateralism will always go hand in hand.

The White Paper details bilateral defence cooperation with neighbours (Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand) and those further afield, such as Australia, France, Russia, and the United States. Malaysia is also exploring ways to enhance its defence cooperation with Timor-Leste and several Pacific countries, notably Fiji and Papua New Guinea. The broader Asian region includes linkages with China, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

Australia is regarded as an extra-regional country. Bilateral defence ties between Kuala Lumpur and Canberra are robust and long-standing. Beginning with the stationing of Australian troops in Malaya and Borneo and subsequent involvement in battles during World War II. Australian armed forces helped to fight against the communist terrorists throughout the Malayan Emergency and aided Malaysia during the Konfrontasi with Indonesia. Presently, the defence relationship has developed further since the signing of the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Programme (MAJDP) in 1992. Watch the two videos below to see how the armed forces of Australia and Malaysia engage to develop co-operative relationships in Southeast Asia.

 

For more information access the resources below.