The Malaysian Insight

DEPUTY Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong will lead the ministry’s efforts to recruit more Chinese and Indian military personnel. 

Minister Mohamad Sabu said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had appointed Liew to encourage racial diversity in the army.

“The PM is very brave; he appointed not just a Chinese but someone from DAP to be the deputy minister. 

“We are making visible efforts for all the races to join the military,” Mohamad said in a press conference today. 

The minister said Liew, who after the May elections was made senator so as to fill the deputy minister’s post, would be in charge of initiatives to attract non-Malay army recruits. 

“We need to push for it because we do not want it to appear as though defence is the job of Malays, Bumiputera, Sabah and Sarawak; it is the job of all races.”

Mohamad said the Defence Ministry would seek to revise its pay scale, allowances and benefits to attract more non-Malays in the long term. 

“We will improve the pay and benefits soon.”

Unattractive wages and glass ceilings have been blamed for the low rate of non-Malay participation in the army. – August 28, 2018.