RMN chief outlines four challenges facing the Navy this year

KUALA LUMPUR: Royal Malaysian Navy ( RMN) chief, Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin yesterday outlined four challenges facing the Navy this year.

He said the four challenges namely were fiscal deficit, perception, environment and social influence, and social media abuse would not only have an impact on RMN service but also on employees.

“With reduction of budget expenses, we will be operating ships which are over 30 years old thus incurring high maintenance cost. Where social media abuse is concerned this will lead to information leakage, spread of extremist propaganda such as Daesh and uncontrolled use of gadgets which may affect work quality,” he said when met by reporters after delivering his 2017 speech here yesterday.

Additionally he said, RMN staff should also strive to improve on team performance and integrity by ensuring that they do not get involved in corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power.

“This is to ensure that RMN professionalism is always maintained and staff are prepared to give their best especially to the people and towards national security,” he said.

On the ‘15 to 5’ Armada RMN Transformation Programme which was launched last year, Ahmad Kamarulzaman said the programme would be continued and was now on the right track. He said the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace ( LIMA) 2017 Exhibition scheduled from March 21 to 25 is expected to receive encouraging response despite the economic uncertainty.

“I foresee LIMA 2017 will create a different kind of impact on the defence industry with the participation of more foreign and local companies,” he said. — Bernama