Defence minister Khaled Nordin said the proposed force would be equipped with advanced technical expertise in areas such as cyber threat intelligence, incident response, digital forensics, and active cyber defence.

“This will empower the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) to not only respond to cyber attacks, but also proactively prevent and neutralise threats before they compromise military operations and national security,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.

He was responding to Amir Md Ghazali on whether the government was considering increasing the defence budget or expediting military modernisation to address unforeseen threats.

Khaled said that the ministry, through the defence white paper, had outlined a clear strategy to transform the ATM into a more integrated, agile, and mission-focused force by 2030 by addressing unexpected threats such as sudden and unpredictable security challenges, including cyber attacks, hybrid warfare, terrorist incidents, drone warfare, natural disasters, and regional conflicts.

“The Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence has also identified key focus areas which require attention, to strengthen the national defence sector. These include cyber warfare, unmanned warfare, drone warfare, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear warfare,” he said.

He said for the second phase of implementation for the white paper, particularly in terms of budget and expenditure, the ministry would propose that spending on national defence be set at 1.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.

“For the record, the country currently allocates approximately 1.1% of its GDP to defence. The proposed increase aligns with the approach of neighbouring nations, which prioritise defence to safeguard national interests amid increasingly complex security challenges, both now and in the future.

“The government remains committed to protecting national security and sovereignty, especially in light of evolving and complex threats, and is consistently reviewing the need to boost defence spending,” he said.