Chin Tong urges Hishammuddin to clarify stand on Defence White Paper
Former deputy defence minister Liew Chin Tong today urged Hishammuddin Hussein to explain his stand on the Defence White Paper (DWP), which was passed in the Parliament in 2019.
This comes after Hishammuddin left out any mention of the policy in his inaugural statement after being reappointed as the senior defence minister in Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s cabinet last month.
Liew, who was...
Former deputy defence minister Liew Chin Tong today urged Hishammuddin Hussein to explain his stand on the Defence White Paper (DWP), which was passed in the Parliament in 2019.
This comes after Hishammuddin left out any mention of the policy in his inaugural statement after being reappointed as the senior defence minister in Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s cabinet last month.
Liew, who was a senator and served as deputy minister when Pakatan Harapan was in power, claimed that Hishammuddin seems not keen to continue the policy, which outlined Malaysia’s strategic defence goals and the necessary reforms it need in the next decade.
“It is unfortunate that Hishammuddin chose to omit any mention of the DWP in his first four-page media statement on his policy direction upon his return to the Defence Ministry.
“I have been made aware that Hishammuddin is not really keen to pursue the DWP reforms.
“If this is true, it is shocking. I hope he can clarify this to the public,” Liew said in a statement.
Malaysiakini has sent a request for a response to Hishammuddin’s office.
The DWP was tabled in Parliament in 2019.
The then Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu had likened the white paper to a grocery list for the country’s defence planning.
It laid out a 10-year plan for the country’s defence needs based on detailed research from experts, according to Mohamad.
Liew said the white paper was conceived as a “whole-of-government” document to be passed by Parliament in a bipartisan manner.
It had also been endorsed by Ismail Sabri, who was then the opposition chief.
“Indeed, at his very first media event when Ismail Sabri was appointed as defence minister in March 2020, he assured the public and the Armed Forces that the reforms advocated by the DWP would continue,” Liew said.
“Hishammuddin should follow Ismail Sabri’s example by adopting the DWP as a bipartisan broad policy objective that would not be affected by changes of government or ministers,” he added.
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