SHAH ALAM: Change of commands. Two ceremonies were held to mark the handing over of two important posts – albiet lower down the totem pole – in the Armed Forces today. These ceremonies involved the Army and the RMN. For the Army, the ceremony was held in Kuching where Lt. Gen Stephen Mundaw was formally promoted as the Army’s Eastern Field Command commander. He succeeded Lt Gen Zaki Mohktar who has reached the mandatory retirement age.
Succeeding Mundaw as the GOC 1 Division is Maj. Gen. Toh Choon Siang, another Royal Ranger Regiment officer, who was previously the 11th Infantry Brigade commander. Toh, had previously commanded the 8th Batallion of the RRD, the sole parachute unit of the regiment.
Stephen (far right) and Toh (far left) after the promotion and change of command ceremony in Kuching today. Second from right is Army Chief Gen Zulkiple Kassim and retiring Lt Gen Zaki Mokhtar.
Toh may well succeed Mundaw as the Eastern Field Commander as the latter has a year before his mandatory retirement.
Mundaw handing over the post of 1 Div GOC to Toh with Zaki witnessing. Army picture
Before anyone suggests otherwise, both promotions had been approved prior to the general elections. There are two other one-star non-Malay RRD officers waiting in the sidelines so both could also be promoted within the next two years though nothing is set in stone just yet.
Unlike the Army, RMN did not promote anyone today even though it was the last day in service for retiring Vice Adm. Roslan Ramli. Roslan was the Western Fleet commander since January, 2017 when the RMN decided to stood up the Eastern Fleet command. He was previously the Fleet Operations Commander, the third highest ranking position in the navy and traditionaly was the stepping stone for the highest position.
Roslan (left) handing the command of the Western Fleet to the acting commander, Abu Bakar.
Instead of promoting one of the two stars to the position, Roslan’s deputy First Adm. Abu Bakar Ajis is now entrusted as the acting commander in the hand over ceremony held at the Lumut naval base. The Armed Forces council will decide who will take over the position permenantly when it meet soon.
After the ceremony, the media quoted RMN chief Adm. Kamarulzaman Badaruddin as saying that the service’s 15 to 5 tranformation would continue under the new administration. Whether this is true or not remained to be seen. Already a number of people and groups are calling for the government to review and cancel the LMS project one of the cornerstone of the transformation plan.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (13)
"Before anyone suggests otherwise, both promotions had been approved prior to the general elections. There are two other one-star non-Malay RRD officers waiting in the sidelines so both could also be promoted within the next two years"
You took the words out of my mouth, Marhalim. Let's see if the new administration will walk the talk. Already I have a bad feeling on the 15-to-5 plan, and what you just wrote sounds disturbing.
"Already a number of people and groups are calling for the government to review and cancel the LMS project."
review is ok but cancel it??if they cancel and continue with MMEA OPV and NGPC like vessel then please go on. it cheaper and better. but it will put old vessel on track to decommission on hold since no new ship to replace it in the pipeline.
hopefully Dr M and the council have this wrap in their hand. heard some chatter about the china worried with new govt policy on them. news of cancellation of LMS may make someone of china trying to sweet thing.
IMHO the 15-to-5 plan was shot the moment the first four LMS were signed over to China to build. Yet another example of concession to Chinese interests and inflated project prices.
"but it will put old vessel on track to decommission on hold since no new ship to replace it in the pipeline."
That's not such a bad thing, We've had them for decades. Having a fleet of non-standard oddballs for a few years is acceptable in order to prolonging it another few decades.
Correction to my post: That’s not such a bad thing, We’ve had them for decades. Having a fleet of non-standard oddballs for a few years is acceptable in order to AVOID prolonging it another few decades.
The Chinese made LMS should never have been selected. When one look at the superlative price of procurement of this little 800tonnes as compare to the MMEA 1800 tonnes OPV, a huge alarm bell should ring!
Both are lightly armed, with 30mm autocannon at best. Nothing is mentioned about whether we're going to buy into the Chinese systems. Both won't have state of the art sensors
It has also been highlighted by the retired Brigadier Arshad. I think it's clear as day the super high price is just another way to channel $ to elsewhere.
Hornet Lover "Both are lightly armed, with 30mm autocannon at best. Nothing is mentioned about whether we’re going to buy into the Chinese systems. Both won’t have state of the art sensors"
We don't need state of the art patrol vessels in the sub 1000 ton class, and there was no intention to get very advanced PVs in the first place.
The problem is the ship doesn't meet the navy's requirements which is why we're looking at a second LMS design beyond the first four ships- which defeats the purpose of 15-to-5.
Also, the price is high, we aren't replacing the missile capability on the FACs and we're putting off standardisation yet again.
If they cancelled the PRC made vessels project maybe the money can be used to upgrade the MEKO 100 class ships with missiles than just let it be a gunboat type OPV.
How about Gowind at 11x metres as the fmr PM was totally into 11 as his lucky number?
Reply
Have you ever save some money for something but end up buying something else?
I'll wait for for Marhalim's Plan B, part x to comment on the LMS.
That reminds me to find the time to complete the APMM article.
sorry to said LMS of these class are useless to the Navy it carried no weigh at all as Ahmad Zaki said upgrade MEKO 100 class that carried weigh gor the NAVY