MALBATT Village serves as new training complex for peacekeeping mission
PORT DICKSON: The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) has a new complex known as MALBATT Village, that serves as a pre-deployment training ground for personnel selected to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission.
MAF chief, Gen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zain said the complex, which had been upgraded from the Malaysian Army housing quarters to accomodate 1,000 people, is equipped with seven blocks of accommodation, open hall, lecture rooms and a dining hall.
“With this MALBATT Village, the training will be in order, more organised and more effective. We’re also conducting Force Integration Training (FIT) with various units including the Malaysian Army, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
“We will also train with the Royal Brunei Armed Forces because out of each deployment of the 850 Malaysian soldiers to Lebanon, 30 of them are from Brunei,” he told reporters after opening MALBATT Village, here yesterday.
Also present were RMN chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin, RMAF deputy chief Lt Gen Datuk Seri Affendi Buang and Joint Forces commander Lt Gen Datuk Fadzil Mokhtar.
Zulkifeli said that he wanted the RM7 million MALBATT Village to be utilised for joint-training with foreign armed forces among Asean-member countries, as well as for other activities when FIT was not being conducted.
Previously, the MAF personnel joining the peacekeeping operations were trained at several camps on ad hoc basis. — Bernama