KUALA LUMPUR: There should be a fine balance between the Malaysian Armed Forces’ (MAF) primary task of defending the country against external threats and its role in developing Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC), said Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Affendi Buang(pix).
He said while MAF was developing its primary task, due consideration was also placed to perform its secondary role in tackling non-traditional security challenges faced by the country.
The non-traditional security challenges included counter terrorism and extremism, transborder crimes, piracy and high sea robbery, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, human trafficking, smuggling and cybercrimes, he said.
CIMIC, which was first introduced to counter insurgency in 1950 under the Briggs Plan, functioned on a multi-tiered framework at federal, state and district levels to oversee both security and development, he said when appearing as a speaker at the Putrajaya Forum 2022 titled Evolution of Civil-Military Cooperation: Adapting to New Securities Realities here today.
“The MAF must continue to employ experts and specialists in CIMIC vis-a-vis advances in modern security threats. Apart from that, we must not only be prepared to provide CIMIC domestically but also on ‘out of area’ deployments,“ he said.
Joining him as panellists at the forum were Chief of South African National Defence Force Gen Rudzani Maphwanya and HELP University deputy vice-chancellor (research) Prof Datuk Dr Zakaria Ahmad.
Affendi said it is fortunate that the government through the National Security Council had acknowledged these concerns and addressed them exponentially.
However, with modern non-traditional security challenges increasing in complexity and diversity, continuous relooks on the MAF CIMIC modus operandi would be critical, he added.
Affendi noted that MAF had embraced the principle of Civilian Control Over the Military since its inception, and the successes in confronting the various non-traditional security threats could be attributed to a dynamic, holistic and well-tested CIMIC framework, performed by professional and competent personnel.
“Our triumphs have earned the respect of the people and provided a firm platform in building confidence among the population,” he added.
However, he cautioned against living on past laurels, saying devastating conflicts and disasters in the world proved yet again that non-traditional security threats and national emergencies are complex and dynamic.-Bernama
