MYSA defence intelligence application director appointed to lead armed forces cyber force team

LUMUT: Brigadier General Datuk Abd Razak Sipit has been appointed head of the armed forces Cyber Force Nucleus Team, marking the first step towards establishing the country's fourth military service by 2030.

Abd Razak is a senior military officer who serves as the Defence Intelligence Application Division director at the Malaysia Space Agency (MYSA).

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin presented Abd Razak with his appointment certificate during the launch of the 14-member team at the 93rd Armed Forces Day celebrations at the Royal Malaysian Navy Base here today.

The nucleus team will study and develop the requirements for establishing the Cyber Force, which will complement the existing Army, Navy and Air Force.

Khaled said the new service was necessary as modern warfare had evolved beyond conventional battlefields, with security threats increasingly taking non-traditional and hybrid forms.

"We are taking this opportunity to launch another domain. So far, we have the Land, Maritime and Air domains.

Now, we are announcing that we will establish a new branch, the Cyber Force.

"Warfare today is not like what we have known before. Security threats come in non-traditional and various forms, including hybrid threats. Warfare is no longer solely based on taking up arms.

"More importantly, with today's technological advancements, the strength of an armed forces also depends on the use of technology. This is what is known as Network-Centric Operations, meaning the use of networks," he said.

He said aircraft, ships and other military assets were increasingly integrated through networks, making cyber capabilities crucial to military operations.

"From a military perspective, if you want to cripple, jam or attack all these systems, you can do so.

"Likewise, if you want to ensure that a country's defence and resilience are not at the level expected, you can attack the infrastructure and systems used by the people," he said.

Khaled said this was why building resilience among the public was also becoming an important aspect of national defence.

"Apart from assets and military readiness, there is also the resilience of the people. With this new form of warfare, threats and challenges will target things that can cause disruption among the people.

"As we have seen, various systems that people depend on, such as electricity and computers, can be targeted.

"They can jam traffic lights, plunge the country into darkness, and attack airports, oil facilities and energy infrastructure. All of these can be attacked through cyber means," he said.

Khaled said the Cyber Force was targeted to be fully operational by 2030, with personnel from the three existing services brought together under the new branch.

He said the armed forces would also recruit personnel with expertise in fields including information technology and artificial intelligence.

He added that the Cyber Force headquarters would be based in Kuala Lumpur, while details of its organisational structure would be determined later.