The Defence Ministry will review the awarding of military insignia and uniforms to politicians and celebrities.

Newly minted Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said the decision was to respect the military's status and to avoid the cheapening of the value of its insignia and ranks.

"I have ordered the review because we want the military's image enhanced […] they should be respected.

"We don't want military uniforms to be misused, and ranks nonchalantly given to politicians. We will relook this and bring down (the practice) as much as possible," Mohamad, who is better known as Mat Sabu, told reporters during an interview with several local news outlets at his ministry today.

He did not, however, elaborate on whether honorary titles given before this would be withdrawn or not.

Previously, armed forces veterans group Patriot president Mohamed Arshad Raji urged Mohamad to stop the practice of giving honorifics to politicians and celebrities as had been done by the BN administration as he said it would cheapen the prestige of military ranks.

Mohamed was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today that ranks given to the askar wataniah (territorial army) which is made up of civilians were usually only until “colonel” and not “brigadier-general” which had been given to politicians and celebrities.

"We have to work very hard to get that rank on our uniform. It does not make sense to me when the ranks are given to a menteri besar, politicians and celebrities," he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Sabu confirmed the setting up of a task force to investigate corruption allegations linked to his ministry during the BN administration including the purchase of the Scorpene submarines.

"The public has raised this issue and it is our responsibility to investigate, it's not only one issue.

"We will probe all (the matters raised), especially the big scandals like Scorpene as has been discussed in the cabinet but right now, it is still too early to elaborate," said Mohamad, who is also Amanah president.

Mohamad had recently said that he was willing to meet William Bourdon and Apoline Cagnat. the two French lawyers who represented Suaram in filing a suit regarding the Scorpene scandal, in the French courts, in 2001.