Khaled, however, clarified today that Raja Affandi Raja Noor had resigned.

“I was using what was released by LTAT. He resigned, actually. No issue about that,” he told reporters here today.

Two days ago, Raja Affandi said he was puzzled by Khaled’s insistence that he had retired, even though he had resigned from the post.

He said his resignation letter was rather straightforward, adding that he even provided reasons for stepping down.

He also did not understand why his resignation was being disputed.

Raja Affandi said that out of respect for LTAT, he would not reveal the contents of the resignation letter that was also addressed to the defence minister and the ministry’s secretary-general.

Last Thursday, LTAT announced the “retirement” of Raja Affandi from his position as the chairman.

However, a source close to the matter told FMT he resigned due to a disagreement over the restructuring of the fund’s wholly owned subsidiary, Boustead Holdings Bhd (BHB).

Raja Affandi’s resignation follows Ahmad Nazim Abdul Rahman’s unexpected departure as CEO on Feb 1.

Defence white paper

On the defence white paper, Khaled said there is the need for a mid-term review to be conducted in 2025 to evaluate its implementation and make necessary adjustments for inclusion in the 13th Malaysia Plan.

“I hope that this mid-term review will also consider how we can position Malaysia not only as a sovereign maritime nation but also as a country with outstanding and effective soft power defence capabilities,” he said.