All Aboard!

PETALING JAYA: From the header one would think Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi finally hit the nail on something. But reading the story, one would think otherwise.

From the Star

Tuesday June 5, 2012
Ahmad Zahid: We want the best brains for the armed forces.
PETALING JAYA: Only the best brains will be accepted as officers into the armed forces, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
The new ruling would apply to officers ranked second lieutenant and above, he added.
“Due to the sophistication and modernisation of our assets and equipment, we need the best brains to operate them.
“Otherwise, we will be left behind compared to other countries,” he said during a visit to Menara Star yesterday.

As the Armed Forces are made up mostly by the other ranks, don’t you think we want everyone to be smart as well? It is no use having a brainy CO, if the NCOs and other rank cannot understand his orders!

And as the Minister was trying to look smart it appears that we are sending our best and brightest overseas!

From the Star also

He is one of two young Malaysians who were picked from hundreds of candidates from 158 countries to receive the RM800,000 scholarship for undergraduate degree programmes at renowned service academies in the United States.

Yes, yet again we are shooting our foot by sending the best and brightest overseas at the tender age of 18 while our neighbours kept theirs to mine their potential and talents. Its a wonderful world right?

– Malaysian Defence

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15 Responses to "All Aboard!"

ATR52 says:

June 5, 2012 at 6:28 pm

This is a good move which I support. We can’t just rely on seniority and rank to lead and command. Even big company and organization CEO and their top management hold high qualification. So it is not wrong to apply in military. Experience just not enough but mix of best mind and experiences are ingredients of success. World have change we have to accept it.

Reply
The problem is even with the best brains, one need to have the right “resume”, to go up the ranks….
Lee Yoke Meng says:

June 5, 2012 at 8:10 pm

One needs not just the right resume but also the right connections too

Reply
With the right resume, the connections get attached automatically!
Azlan says:

June 6, 2012 at 2:34 am

History is ripe with examples of armies that had competent generals but performed dismally in combat because it had junior officers and NCOs who were not tactically proficient and inept! Someone should point out to the honourable minister that what is also needed is a change of operational mindset, amongst the senior military leadership and defence planners, to deal with a new set of threats and challenges that currently confront us.

The army for example is neither here nor there. For 3 decades its main focus was counter insurgency and starting in the 1990′s, we made the first moves in ‘conventionalising’ the army – 10th Para, 11th Armoured Brigade, 4 Mech Brigade, Air Corps, etc – yet at present the bulk of the army is still organised and equipped to deal with low intensity threats. Granted, the possibility of a high tempo, high intensity conventional conflict with a neighbour is very slim, so what kind of army should we build? And what kind of threats are we likely to face in the coming years?
Lee Yoke Meng says:

June 6, 2012 at 1:37 pm

I agree with Azlan. He asked all the right questions. In countries like the UK they have regular white papers done up and released to the citizens that will inform the citizens of the way forward for the armed forces. What about for our country?.
HotRed says:

June 8, 2012 at 10:55 am

to have the best brain in the near future is to import,correct army personnel from war thorn countries,who have been to war n experience fail n success operations bet many volunteer are will to shape MAF,from layback army to forward thinking army n personnels. One more important thing is ur army personnel can never expand their mind,if they keep working in the same environment with same people around. Send them abroad for operations with other countries armed forces,to observe,learn n bring back know how that is being learnt
Azlan says:

June 8, 2012 at 2:45 pm

Lee Yoke Meng,

Certain idiots/cretins might scream that the release of a White Paper would be releasing ‘RAHSIA NEGARA’ to our ‘enemies. That was the reaction I got in a blog, about a year ago, when I suggested that the government adopts a more effective and open approach in keeping the public informed as to what is happening with regards to national defence.
nimitz says:

June 8, 2012 at 2:59 pm

perhaps those officers trained overseas could be put into lecturer posts in UPNM. BTW, how Pdg Tembak quantify this best brain stuff? IMO believe our public exam standard (SPM/STPM) had fallen against the predecessor Senior Cambridge/O level/A level…hehe our best brains more attracted to $$$ paid by MNC lah so most of them flew off overseas into a greener pasture.
duuude says:

June 8, 2012 at 11:49 pm

Best brains in the defense establishment? Like who? RIDHUAN TEE ABDULLAH??????????????????? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Azlan says:

June 9, 2012 at 6:59 pm

There are a lot of people in the rank an file of the MAF who are competent and are passionate about their jobs. Whether they are put to good use and whether the system recognises them is the question. At last year’s army exhibition at Dataran Merdeka, I met a signals Captain who had risen from the ranks and was very,very passionate about his job. He told me that at his office he had a laboratory, in which he experimented with various comms and he went on talking for about an hour about comms! I have never met anyone in uniform who was so enthusiastic with his job.

Reply
Yes we may get the good ones to join but the bigger issue is can we retain
HotRed says:

June 9, 2012 at 8:24 pm

in another view,good brains in defence organisation might not necessarily come from good grade officers,but born with it,reflexes,instinct,foresight,doctrine,etc..unable to explain further,but also with deep interest in defence and definitely with a good command of english. these one in a million type of personnel is very fluid,give them a scenario n they will plot a successful yet unconventional plan,that is not taught in war history….hehehe these type of people sure hard to find but they are around,ready to be pick by the right organisation
FareedLHS says:

June 9, 2012 at 11:59 pm

If the government was serious about building the best possible defence establishment, it would bring in outside experts and grant them real power to effect the necessary changes. Of course, that is not their goal as they are not overly interested in defence and are more interested in personal gain, patronage for their sycophants (fawning parasites), and so on.
MeesterT says:

June 10, 2012 at 1:23 am

What? The only skill you need in kementah is BODEK.
Zamani says:

June 10, 2012 at 4:13 pm

Americans call them THE A TEAM
nimitz says:

June 12, 2012 at 2:53 pm

What I knew, ATM is ongoing sending their officers for tertiary education, pernah bergelumang dengan pegawai-pegawai ATM yg ikut mengaji degree dengan kami freshies yg baru habis matrix/stpm dan kami gelar mereka pelajar tua masa di UPM (mati mati mereka tak nak kami panggil mereka “Tuan” hahaha)

Reply
Yes like the police all of them need to get MA or PHD to get promoted or selected for higher positions otherwise kena pencen cepatlah….
scorpio says:

June 12, 2012 at 4:24 pm

berita dari russia ….

http://www.defencetalk.com/malaysia-in-talks-with-russia-on-sam-at-missiles-gunboats-41752/

just for knowledge ….

All Aboard!

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