Khaled promises military readiness as king slams wasteful purchases
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said this includes assets for the Special Forces Regiment.
Earlier, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, warned against the procurement of assets that he described as "rubbish", or those that do not meet the regiment's needs.
In his address at the regiment's 60th anniversary celebration in Mersing, the king said the government must improve the regiment's readiness by ensuring that all procurements are carried out carefully.
Khaled said: "Honouring the decree of His Majesty, the Defence Ministry will continue to place emphasis on the readiness of the armed forces.
"We will modernise defence assets in line with their needs, including those of the regiment."
He expressed gratitude to His Majesty for attending the celebration.
Sultan Ibrahim, who is the regiment's colonel commandant, said purchases must be based on user needs and fair market prices, not on agents' recommendations.
He said buying irrelevant or overpriced assets is wasteful and a loss to the nation.
His Majesty has also ordered the ministry to scrap plans to acquire 30-year-old Black Hawk helicopters.
Meanwhile, Khaled added that since its establishment in 1965, the regiment has undergone a remarkable transformation.
"What began as a small unit has grown into a modern operational force capable of operating across all domains."
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