Mindef lodges police report over alleged Armed Forces information leak

KUALA LUMPUR - The Defence Ministry (Mindef) has lodged a police report following an alleged leak of information involving the names and strategic postings of senior officers in the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said that Mindef is also conducting an internal investigation, following the public disclosure of the information, even though the decision to fill the highest military posts has yet to receive the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.

He explained that any decision to appoint personnel to the highest positions in the armed forces must first be deliberated at the Armed Forces Council (MAT) level, which is responsible for submitting recommendations to His Majesty.

"For each position discussed, two or three names will be recommended, not just one. However, what has gone viral to the public mentions only one name, thus giving the impression that a decision has already been made," he said.

He said this at a press conference, after the handover of keys of the Rumah SASaR Residensi Sateria Sungai Besi, here, today.

Mohamed Khaled stressed that any appointment would only take effect with the consent of His Majesty, adding that the disclosure of such information prior to receiving official approval was inappropriate.

He said the disclosure of the names, positions and movements of senior officers could pose security risks, as such sensitive information should not be made public.

"The military does not disclose who commands a particular camp, who is responsible for logistics or artillery units, nor the operational roles of senior officers, as doing so could reveal critical security details," he said.

"All of this involves security matters. Revealing who these individuals are, the positions they hold and their movements opens up potential risks which should not occur," he said.

Yesterday, Mindef, in a statement, warned that it would not hesitate to take legal action against any individual found to be spreading classified or internal government information on social media.

The move followed the circulation of speculative narratives and lists of senior armed forces officers linked to strategic postings and leadership matters, on various social media platforms.

According to the ministry, such action could be investigated under several laws, including the Official Secrets Act 1972, the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the Armed Forces Act 1972, and the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993. - BERNAMA