Kuala lumpur: The culture of rejecting corruption and abuse of power must be the cornerstone of leadership in the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), says His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, His Majesty emphasized that the strength of a defence force is not solely reliant on assets and technology, but is also grounded in the values of integrity. "Integrity, transparency and accountability are important foundations to ensure that the MAF remains respected and trusted by the people," His Majesty stated in a post on the Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar Facebook page.

The advice was conveyed when His Majesty granted an audience to the newly appointed Chief of Defence Force (CDF), Gen Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman, at Istana Negara. His Majesty underscored the importance of maintaining high discipline and making the principle of rejecting corruption a continuous work culture for the sake of the nation's sovereignty and interests.

Sultan Ibrahim also reminded the top leadership of the MAF to always prioritize the welfare of personnel while enhancing defence capabilities in line with current security challenges. He expressed confidence in Malek Razak's ability to shoulder the responsibility with full dedication.

Malek Razak, who previously served as the Western Field Commander of the Army, was appointed as the 24th CDF effective February 1. He holds a Diploma in Strategic and Security Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King's College London, and a Master of Social Sciences (Defence Studies) from UKM.