Defence minister Khaled Nordin said armed forces personnel must always be clear about their roles to ensure national peace is preserved, even in a dynamic political environment, particularly ahead of the Sabah election.

“That is why we hope defence personnel will not be influenced by such circumstances. They must be clear that their duty and role is to safeguard the country’s security,” he said here when attending the Malaysian armed forces family day.

Khaled said unity among armed forces personnel, their families and the local community is crucial to ensuring that the armed forces remain strong and united in carrying out their duty to defend the country.

Sabah’s security is a shared responsibility of all armed forces personnel, regardless of their home state, he said.