KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry will come up with a white paper which outlines a plan to develop the armed forces, as well as its principles and strategies.
Its minister, Mohamad Sabu, said this was needed to ensure that the national defence policy can meet present and future challenges.
“This white paper is a way of informing Parliament and the people of the challenges the ministry faces. This effort does not mean we will divulge entirely the secrets of the armed forces, but more towards increasing transparency and informing society about the importance of defence and security.
“At the same time, it encourages them to take equal responsibility in the defence of the nation, in line with the concept of Comprehensive Defence,” he said.
Mohamad said this when delivering his 2019 mandate for the ministry at Wisma Perwira ATM.
On another matter, he said the government had allocated RM70.5 million for the maintenance of Armed Forces Family Housing projects.
“Other than that, RM50 million has been set aside for upgrades and improvements to the Defence Ministry’s quarters. This allocation needs to be spent well so that we can ensure the well-being of members of the armed forces and their families,” he said.
Present at the function were ministry secretary-general Datuk Halimi Manaf and Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.