Arshad Raji
In recent weeks, the armed forces have been left embarrassed going by the media reports punctuated with irrefutable evidence of corruption, criminal breach of trust and related financial misconduct involving certain senior officers.
The scandal has undeniably affected the reputation of the Armed Forces.
People in Malaysia have reacted strongly, negating if not overshadowing the fact that the armed forces have close to 93 years of existence and a credible track record of service rendered to the nation.
To put it bluntly, the reported cases in question have vaporized public trust in the institution and eroded the recognition of the men and women who have defended this land for close to a century.
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Indeed, these painful public comments, though fully understandable, must draw a line of clarity. That clarity is simple: the fault lies not in the armed forces as an institution, but with certain individuals. They have acted in ways that have damaged the good name of the armed service and the uniform they wear.
In truth, rationality dictates that the armed forces should not be held as an object of ridicule.
The arrest and charges of criminal acts against the very senior officers involved have now laid bare and left vacant two critical posts: the chief of defence force and the director of military intelligence.
Leaving these two posts vacant for far too long and the ensuing delays affirm the inability of the armed forces to replace them with suitable and qualified officers to fill the sudden vacuum.
It reflects structural and organisational incompetence involving the planning and the appointing of professionally qualified officers to take over without substantial delay the critical posts now being left vacant.
Let truth be told: the irrefutable fact is such apparent incompetence was unheard of in past decades.
Hence the Armed Forces Council, established under Article 137 of the Federal Constitution – the highest body for the command, discipline and administration of the armed forces – may be at fault too for its seeming inability to quickly address the embarrassment caused by the senior officers accused of wrongdoing.
Perhaps unknown to the public, the powers vested in the council are actually robust enough to deal with disciplinary cases involving senior officers.
But for some strange and unknown reasons, council members appear inadequate and incapacitated to act decisively despite having the powers of prosecution vested by the Federal Constitution. We cannot fault the public for wondering if the council members are also ignorant of their constitutionally vested powers.
It is also rumoured that promotions to senior positions in the armed forces are alleged influenced and determined by ‘hidden hands’, both within and outside the armed forces.
The word “cartel” is frequently cited as having played a significant role in deciding and posting selected senior officers to choice positions where they could continue the ‘legacies’ of their past superior officers, which among others involved awarding contracts to preferred contractors and suppliers.
Certainly and undeniably, we veterans are disillusioned at what has occurred within the armed forces. From being a dignified and noble profession, the armed forces have been mired in disgrace and scandal to the letter – not because of an institutional collapse but by the actions or inaction of certain individual officers who had pledged to serve the nation with dignity and honour.
Retired Brigadier General Dato’ Mohd Arshad Raji was the founder (and past) president of the Malaysian National Patriots Association (Patriot).
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
What happened isn’t something that is isolated or occured overnight.For years there have been murmurs about the impropriety being practiced within ATM. It’s just fortunate (or unfortunate, depending how you look at it) that the culprits got greedy and caught. To say that the many well trained officers of past and present were ignorant about what goes on is unfathomable. The fact is when injustice goes unchallenged, corruption goes unpunished, or lies go unchecked, an illusion is created, that everyone agrees, that it’s acceptable. Those who are currently being indicted are the product of this. Silence equals complicity. The people regard the military as heroes. But it doesn’t take a hero into battle, it takes a hero to enter a battle.
Brig Gen Arshad is a credible senior military officer. He was also a man who led Patriots with distinction since inception.