Kuala lumpur: Malaysia is actively seeking to deploy an ASEAN Monitoring Team to the conflict zone along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar has confirmed that he has requested Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to formally engage with the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Cambodia to facilitate the entry of Malaysian teams into the conflict areas alongside the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the AOT consists of representatives from ASEAN member states and aims to be on the ground continuously to ensure compliance with the ceasefire agreement. Gen Mohd Nizam emphasized the significant challenge of monitoring the 840-kilometer border and mentioned that the United States is providing logistical support for this assignment.
Following the conclusion of the General Border Committee (GBC), it was agreed by the involved parties to form an Interim Observer Team (IOT), which includes defence attach©s from ASEAN countries. Malaysia’s Defence Advisers in Bangkok and Phnom Penh are leading this team. The initial task for the team involves conducting briefings in Bangkok for 75 senior officers from Thailand, with similar briefings planned for Phnom Penh, before visiting the conflict zones.
Gen Mohd Nizam highlighted that the primary mandate of the IOT is to ensure the ceasefire is upheld and to investigate any reported violations. Thailand and Cambodia have previously committed to adhering to the ceasefire along their shared border, maintaining their current troop positions without increasing military strength.
In a separate matter concerning the death of a Reserve Officers Training Unit (PALAPES) trainee at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai, Gen Mohd Nizam stated that a board of inquiry and post-mortem have been conducted. The incident occurred during a battle inoculation exercise, and he clarified that it was not related to bullying or ragging.
Gen Mohd Nizam reiterated that the Armed Forces have eliminated the culture of bullying, emphasizing that current training exercises aim to build soldier character. He acknowledged the rigorous nature of military training, which is inherently more challenging compared to civilian experiences.
On August 11, the mother of Syamsul Haris Shamsudin, a 22-year-old PALAPES trainee, requested a second post-mortem and expressed her willingness for her son’s grave to be exhumed to ascertain the exact cause of death.