Utusan Online July 18th 2009 reports that Defence Minister Dato Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is currently visiting Malaysian troops on UN peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, had announced that “Malaysia will supply Lebanon with defence equipments around the middle of next year, to enable the country to defend her territorial integrity”. Dr. Ahmad Zahid further stressed that the equipments meant “are purely defensive in nature, and he will soon be meeting with defence equipment manufacturers to request them to be ready with the supplies”.
This is a bold statement and offer by the minister that will benefit the local defence industry. However, no specifics is given to the type of equipments to be supplied to Lebanon, but I suppose the term “defensive” could conjure up equipments like amoured protective vest, a full range of webbing equipments, combat boots and uniforms; small arms ammunition; all of these are available for manufacture in the country.
Certainly, the country is not yet ready to supply more sophisticated equipments such as small arm weapons, vehicles and radio communication, all of which are some of the vital equipments required in battle, but have not been given enough emphasis for research and development to reach the export level. I believe, we already have an established automotive industry that can further be developed to produce and manufacture vehicle to meet military specifications.
Likewise, the small arms weapon industry that was anchored by SME Technologies that was producing the Steyr Assault Rifle for the Malaysian Army can as well begin the research and development of its own indigenously designed weapons. The company has the experience, the human resource, technical know-how and machineries to undertake the project. We can learn from the experience of our nearest neighbour i.e. Singapore in weapon development, and that she is today an exporter of small arms weapon. I do not wish to dwell more on Singapore's defence industry, because her progress in the industry will put our country to shame.
Both our political and military leaders have to admit that our country has willfully ignored the importance of the defence industry. I may be wrong in saying this, but after 52 years of independence, what really substantive has the country produced in terms of fulfilling its defence needs. Producing boots and uniforms is not enough. But surprisingly, we have a Malaysian Defence Council in place for some years now, but what emanates out of the council's meeting in terms of developing the defence industry is not known. Once again, I wish to draw the lessons of Singapore, South Africa and Iran for all to understand how these countries have progressed to be world renowned defence equipment producers and manufactures. Basically it is the political will of their governments, and the enormous amount of money spend on R&D.
We have lacked far behind in almost ever aspect of our defence industry, and I attribute this to the lack of a political will by our national leaders, including that of our military leaders. If we are to remain stagnated as what we are in the development of our defence industry, then we might as well omit the phrase that discusses our self reliance capability in our National Defence Policy.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
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Saya berpendapat Majlis Industri Pertahanan Negara membuat keputusan yang sangat rasional dengan hanya menumpukan kepada aktivit-aktiviti senggaran dan tidak kepada pembuatan persenjataan bagi sektor industri pertahanan negara.
'The lead time' bagi pengeluaran sesuatu produk persenjataan adalah sangat lama dan melibatkan kos yang besar yang mana 'return on investment' tidak dapat dijanjikan kerana pasaran yang terhad di Malaysia sendiri dan isu kualiti produk bagi pasaran global.Tidak hairanlah kalau syarikat gergasi tempatan tidak tertarik dengan industri pembuatan persenjataan kerana risiko yang tinggi.
Malaysia mungkin berpeluang untuk menjadi 'global player' dalam sesuatu produk pertahanan, seperti produk elektronik.Kita sudah ada asas yang kukuh dalam industri elektronik.Dengan insentif yang menarik dari pihak Kerajaan mungkin industri elektronik negara dapat membantu pengeluaran produk-produk elektronik pertahan yang berkualiti bagi pasaran tempatan dan global.
Saudara Loreng,
Masanya sudah sampai dimana kita harus meneroka lebih dari pembuatan elektronik. Saya berpendapat bahawa pembuatan senjatapi boleh di sifatkan sebagai fardhu kifayah, yang mesti disediakan. Lihatlah bagaimana Iran selepas jatuhnya Maharaja Shah dahulu. Dunia barat mengharamkan bekalan semua jenis persentajaan kepada Iran, yang selama di zaman Shah dahulu menjadi sumber utama pembekalan senjata kepada Iran. Apa yang dilakukan oleh Iran selepas dari itu amat menakjubkan. Negara kita harus sedar bahawa kawan sekarang boleh berubah jadi lawan dihari mendatang. Contoh yang terbaik ialah industri pembuatan kereta negara yang pada mulanya di pandang serong oleh banyak pehak, termasuk rakyat kita sendiri.
Dato,
Memang elok kalau kita bolih mula mengeluarkan persenjataan sendiri tetapi tidak akan tercapai jika Kerajaan tidak terlibat secara besar-besaran.Kerajaan perlu membuat pelaburan yang besar untuk infrstruktur dan pengetahuan/kemahiran yang diperlukan untuk tujuan tersebut.Pihak swasta tidak akan mahu membuat pelaburan dalam industri di mana pasaranya tidak menentu dan terhad.
Kerajaan pada mulanya berbuat demikian (seperti dengan penubuhan AIROD/SMEA/SMEO/ATSC)tetapi di bawah TDM syarikat-syarikat tersebut telah diswastakan kepada invidu-invidu tertentu.Ini dilihat sebagai kesilapan besar olih TDM.
Bolihkan Kerjaan berpatah balik kepada konsep awalnya Dato?
saudara loreng !
when is the right time right ?
maybe in your mind another 500 years!
Sdr Komando,
Kalau begitu saya ingin melihat cadangan saudara bagaimana Malaysia bolih mengeluarkan produk-produk persenjataan di masa terdekat untuk memenuhi keperluan ATM.
Terima kasih.
Sdr Pembaca,
Saya tertarik dengan kenyataan Menteri Pertahanan dan Timbalannya baru-baru ini berhubung dengan penubuhan rejimen-rejimen Askar Wataniah di setiap kawasan Parlimen.
Barangkali sudah ada perubahan pendekatan terhadap konsep pertahanan negara.Kenyataan mereka menunjukan sudah ada minat untuk melibatkan rakyat secara terus sebagai benteng pertahanan negara dalam Konsep Pertahanan Menyeluruh (Total Defence), dan bukan sebagai anggota simpanan seperti yang dipraktikan sekarang dengan Pasukan Askar Wataniah.
Konsep Pertahanan Menyeluruh (Total Defence) sudah tebukti keberkesanannya di negara-negara seperti Sweden, Switzerland, Singapura dll.
Sekiranya Konsep Pertahanan Menyeluruh (Total Defence) mahu direlisasikan, sanggupkah kepimpinan ATM memperkecilkan 'the current force to accomodate the Total Defence Concept ?
Dapatkah Konsep Pertahanan Meneyeluruh (Total Defence) ini meningkatkan keberkesanan sistem pertahanan negara jika dibandingkan dengan konsep 'large standing force' yang kita amali sekarang?
Dear Loreng,
There are merits with the Total Defence Concept.To start with every able-bodied citizens including senior citizens will be required to serve with the Total Defence Force.
The entire population will take up arms when there is a threat to its sovereignty which is a big plus point for our national deterrent capability.
Since every citizen is a soldier it increases the discipline and esprit de corps of the society.Nation building will be accelerated.
By having a small cadre of highly professional standing force and nation-wide Total Defence Force, the defence expenditure could be optimised to its maximun.
From defence point of view, the Total Defence Force will be able to provide layer upon layer of defence which will frighten any conventional force.Citizen soldiers of every district will know how to defend every inch of his backyard territory.The invading force will be subject to attacks and harassments day and night wherever they are by the citizen soldiers.
Sweden has a good model of a Total Defence Force concept which the country has implemented since the Cold War days.
YB DS Zahid Hamidi and YB Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff should hold seminars to gauge the response of the public on their proposal.
DATO.... DENGARNYA ADA PEGAWAI YANG BERTUGAS DI SEL ALAT DAH LAMA DISANA... DARI RANK KAPT..NAIK PANGKAT...MEJ....NAIK PANGKAT LAGI... JUST IMAGINE...BERAPA TAHUN DI SANA....???? lebih 5 tahun.... MUNGKIN DIA ADA KEISTIMEWAAN OR KECEMERLANGAN DI SANA.... MUNGKIN JUGA DI PANDAI MENJAHIT BAJU..... JUST GUEST.....
tugas menguruskan perolehan pakaian, dan alat pelbagai....mmmm memang hebat jahitan dia...
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