General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin has been appointed the new Army chief, replacing General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin who has been promoted as the Chief of the Armed Forces.

Both appointments take effect tomorrow.

Zulkifli, who was formerly Army deputy chief, was commissioned into the Royal Malay Regiment on Jan 5, 1978, after completing his cadet officer training at the Royal Military College.

Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi witnessed the handing-over of duties at a ceremony held at the auditorium of the Ministry of Defence in Kuala Lumpur today.

Also present were Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Latif Ahmad and outgoing Chief of the Armed Forces General Azizan Ariffin, who ends his service tomorrow after having served the armed forces for 41 years.

Zulkifli has an Advance Diploma in Business and Management (Distinction) from the Swansea Institute of Higher Education, University of Wales, obtained in 1995 and a Master's in Management from the Asian Institute of Management, Manila, Philippines, which he obtained in 1998.

- Bernama