Total Defence Poser
Total defence in national security, which has been implemented by several countries since the Cold War, is still at the concept and strategy stage in Malaysia.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that several inter-agency discussions held since the 1990s to study the implementation of its components had produced no concrete action.
“Perhaps the absence of threats, and the comfort and peace the people have enjoyed resulted in a lack of commitment towards total defence,” he said after launching the Workshop on Total Defence Concept and Implementation, co-organised by the Defence Ministry and National Security Division of the Prime Minister’s Department.
The objective of total defence, as implemented in countries such as Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Singapore, is to prevent war and defend the country, through a concerted effort by the private and public sector.
Total defence in national security, which has been implemented by several countries since the Cold War, is still at the concept and strategy stage in Malaysia.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that several inter-agency discussions held since the 1990s to study the implementation of its components had produced no concrete action.
“Perhaps the absence of threats, and the comfort and peace the people have enjoyed resulted in a lack of commitment towards total defence,” he said after launching the Workshop on Total Defence Concept and Implementation, co-organised by the Defence Ministry and National Security Division of the Prime Minister’s Department.
The objective of total defence, as implemented in countries such as Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Singapore, is to prevent war and defend the country, through a concerted effort by the private and public sector.
[ thestar.com 12.4.07]
Backgrounder:
This is the definition of Total Defence from Wilkipedia:
Total Defence is a concept introduced by the government of Singapore in 1984 to improve readiness in matters related to the defence and national security of Singapore, and is partly based on similar concepts in Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. This concept rests on the notion that the defence of the country cannot rely only on the regular armed forces. Thus the concept declares that government agencies, private sector organisztions and all Singaporeans are to be involved in an effort to deal with security threats facing Singapore. It can be compared to the concept of total war.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Defence]
And this is the Singapore version:
Singapore's leaders defined Total Defence as the capability of the nation to deter or overcome aggression by maintaining small, well-equipped regular armed forces backed up by a large, well-trained military reserve and a civil sector that could be quickly mobilized to provide support to the armed forces. By 1989 Singapore had each of these components in place.
[http://www.photius.com/countries/singapore/national_security/singapore_national_security_total_defence_concep~1585.html]
Comment:
The Malaysian government has to make up her mind – to have or not to have a total defence policy. In my opinion, the geopolitical development in the 21st century, since the launching of the War On Terror (WOT), which was later being characterized by the ever increasing incidents of black operations or false-flag operations in several regions of South East Asia, warrants such a policy to be implemented in Malaysia without any further delay.
The Malaysian government must also remember that the US-led WOT is a press-button war without border, and is a war against phantom enemies, including the so-called Al-Qaeda bunch and/or its allies, all over the globe, especially in the Muslim world or Muslim regions in non-Muslim nations.
Yes, this type of war, as many renowned authors on geopolitics said, is mainly targeted to several failed states. But, the WOT can also be at our doorsteps or backyards as and when the world’s hyper-power thinks it is necessary.
The WOT can also be launched against any nation, at anytime, and without any specific and/or valid reasons. This war can happen when the big bullies club thinks that a particular nation is allegedly harboring Muslim radicals, Muslim militants or Muslim terrorists who are being construed as the enemies of the West.
Such is the present day reality. And, a total defence policy is of paramount importance to benchmark our nation’s readiness to face this reality.
So, no more procrastination please. As the Malay saying goes: let us get ready with our umbrella before the rain drops. Let this beloved soil be totally protected to avoid blood and tears being shed by the rakyat as a result of our own government’s prolonged complacency. – Ruhanie Ahmad
And this is the Singapore version:
Singapore's leaders defined Total Defence as the capability of the nation to deter or overcome aggression by maintaining small, well-equipped regular armed forces backed up by a large, well-trained military reserve and a civil sector that could be quickly mobilized to provide support to the armed forces. By 1989 Singapore had each of these components in place.
[http://www.photius.com/countries/singapore/national_security/singapore_national_security_total_defence_concep~1585.html]
Comment:
The Malaysian government has to make up her mind – to have or not to have a total defence policy. In my opinion, the geopolitical development in the 21st century, since the launching of the War On Terror (WOT), which was later being characterized by the ever increasing incidents of black operations or false-flag operations in several regions of South East Asia, warrants such a policy to be implemented in Malaysia without any further delay.
The Malaysian government must also remember that the US-led WOT is a press-button war without border, and is a war against phantom enemies, including the so-called Al-Qaeda bunch and/or its allies, all over the globe, especially in the Muslim world or Muslim regions in non-Muslim nations.
Yes, this type of war, as many renowned authors on geopolitics said, is mainly targeted to several failed states. But, the WOT can also be at our doorsteps or backyards as and when the world’s hyper-power thinks it is necessary.
The WOT can also be launched against any nation, at anytime, and without any specific and/or valid reasons. This war can happen when the big bullies club thinks that a particular nation is allegedly harboring Muslim radicals, Muslim militants or Muslim terrorists who are being construed as the enemies of the West.
Such is the present day reality. And, a total defence policy is of paramount importance to benchmark our nation’s readiness to face this reality.
So, no more procrastination please. As the Malay saying goes: let us get ready with our umbrella before the rain drops. Let this beloved soil be totally protected to avoid blood and tears being shed by the rakyat as a result of our own government’s prolonged complacency. – Ruhanie Ahmad
2 comments:
“Perhaps the absence of threats, and the comfort and peace the people have enjoyed resulted in a lack of commitment towards total defence,”
lamer's way of covering his shortcoming. Excuse, excuse, excuse!
Brother
You are the first visitor.
Thank you.
Ruhanie
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