Chief of Armed Forces (ATM) Gen Zulkifli Zainal Abidin called on all members of the public to work together with the ATM to safeguard the safety and sovereignty of the country.

He said with the support of each other, the sovereignty of the country would be inviolable.

"Without the armed forces, the peace and the sovereignty of the country would be vulnerable to threats," he said in his address to mark the 86th Armed Forces Day themed 'Kedaulatan Negara Tanggungjawab Bersama' (Country’s Sovereignty, Our Responsibility), which was aired over TV1, on Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) today.

"The ATM is a guarantee to the sustainability of the country's defence, and as a shield for the country, we, the people of ATM, are willing to sacrifice our lives in carrying out our responsibility honestly,” he said.

Thus, he said, the actions of certain individuals who questioned the existence of the ATM by saying that it was a waste of money, are baseless.

Zulkifli said that as of now, there are some 5,000 ATM personnel who are serving in or outside the country.

"They are placed at the state of readiness at army camps and bases around the country, while some are tasked with patrolling and protecting the country's borders at land, sea and air,” he said.

"We would also like to express our gratitude to all loyal Malaysians who put their confidence, trust and unwavering support in us," he said.

The ATM Day celebration will be held at the Lumut Naval Base in Perak on Sept 27.

- Bernama