Pusasda: The Malaysian Army (TDM) is looking into providing flexibility in the recruitment of young soldiers who are well-versed in the fields of science, technology, and technical skills to join the service. Army Chief Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan stated that they are now facing a challenge to recruit quality and qualified candidates. To address this issue, the Army may need to reconsider its strict selection criteria.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Army is experiencing difficulties in securing good and quality recruits, a problem that seems to resonate with other countries as well. To tackle this challenge, discussions have been held about possibly relaxing physical requirements in favor of focusing more on skills or qualifications, especially in science and technology. For instance, the Army may consider candidates who are slightly shorter in height if they possess strong abilities in technological and technical fields.

Earlier, Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain witnessed the Passing Out Parade for Young Male Soldiers Series 201/2024 and Young Female Soldiers Series 49/2024, which involved 1,339 recruits at the Army Basic Training Centre (Pusasda). He mentioned that candidates with expertise in specific fields could be cultivated into specialists, turning them into assets for the service. The Army is aiming to form a cyber force squad and is keen on developing computer experts from within its ranks.

While the Army plans to be more lenient in selecting young recruits, Gen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain emphasized that there will be no compromise on health standards. He also noted that the TDM receives 10,000 applications online for each intake session, out of which 4,000 candidates are selected for the final interview. However, about 60 percent of these candidates are further eliminated due to health, psychological, and other issues.

Moreover, the Army Chief announced the upcoming release of a revised Body Mass Index (BMI) policy, which will be more relevant to the age and length of service of certain members. The existing BMI requirement for TDM personnel is 26.9 or below.