All's not well in the military

While Mat Sabu is doing great guns in Singapore, all's not that well with his uniformed people back home. See my earlier post Defence Minister shines in international debut.

Yes, back home, Malaysiakini published Patriot warns against leak of confidential army papers (extracts):

Armed forces veterans group Patriot has urged the Defence Ministry to investigate an alleged breach of confidentiality related to a news report on the possible appointment of former Armed Forces (only Army) chief Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.

former Army chief Gen Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin

Patriot president Mohamed Arshad Raji said they were made to understand that the Armed Forces council (AFC) papers related to Zulkifli’s appointment, as well as a list of promoted senior officers, had yet to be presented to the Agong for consent.

“This is a serious breach of the confidentiality of the AFC papers, and Patriot urges Mindef to fully investigate this incident,” he said.

He also warned that if such a leak could take place, there could also be breaches of "other secret defence papers."

English-daily The New Straits Times yesterday reported that Zulkifli’s appointment had been approved by the AFC on Thursday, replacing Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor, who will retire on June 20 after holding the post for five years.

Arshad further said the AFC secretariat should have embargoed its decisions related to the promotion of senior military officers until the approval of the Agong was sought.

[...]

Since news broke of Zulkifli's return to head the Armed Forces, Arshad said he had been inundated by viral messages online that accused him of having a hand in recommending the appointment.

"Patriot would like to categorically state that this is not true. Patriot has made no such recommendation," he said.

In noting that there has also been an outpouring of dissatisfaction among the veterans as well as officers still serving the force, Arshad said Patriot also shared their sentiments in demanding for another candidate for the position.

Patriot is furious because from what I have heard and read in another newspaper, a high ranking official said there are other generals available for the post. Patriot in fact does NOT support him as the new Defence Chief.

News leakage of the proposed promotion could well be a deliberate act of fait accompli.

But it seems General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin also has his own backers in the powerful Armed Forces Council (which usually includes a representative of the rulers).

General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin was in the dog house after the Lahad Datu incursion and put to pasture as a 4-star Vice Chancellor of the National Defence University, when the post is usually held by only a 3-star bloke.

He has been slated for compulsory retirement on Nov 30 this year, and already on resettlement (pre-retirement) leave since May 15 after handing over his duties as vice-chancellor of the National Defence University to former chief of staff Lt Gen Datuk Abdul Halim Jalal.

One of his backers said: “It has been five years out in the cold for Zulkifli, and he is now back in the saddle where he rightly belongs.”

That source added that it was “payback time” for Zulkifli, who was “unceremoniously” replaced as Army chief on June 14, 2013 following the Lahad Datu incursion on 11 February 2013. He then fell out with higher Defence hierarchy.

But the general fCk up big time when he failed to prevent foreign incursion into Sabah Malaysia which was/is the principal role of the Army and Armed Forces.

Remember - foreign invasion, army's job to deal with it; internal insurgency - police's job to handle that.

I tend to agree with Brig Gen Arshad Raji who together with his Patriot members do NOT want General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin in the top uniformed military post, seeing how unpopular he is with those not in the Armed Forces Council.

Besides, a failed general should not be mollycoddled into a prime luscious position as a form of golden handshake. It's fCking bad for morale to others more capable. How the fCk did this 'golden handshake' bullshit occur under the new glorious so-called reformasi Pakatan government?