KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 31): The appointment of Army chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan as chief of the Defence Forces has been put on hold, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said on Wednesday.
According to Mohamed Khaled, the decision to promote Muhammad Hafizuddeain to head the Malaysian Armed Forces was originally made during the 631st Armed Forces Council meeting on Nov 19. He was slated to succeed General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar, who has reached the mandatory retirement age.
The postponement comes after Muhammad Hafizuddeain was ordered to go on leave to facilitate “an ongoing investigation” by the authorities into reported allegations involving him, Khaled said in a statement, without elaborating.
In the interim, Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Zulhelmy Ithnain will act as the chief of the Defence Forces.
Mohamed Khaled emphasised that all measures are aimed at upholding the rule of law, maintaining the integrity of the Malaysian Armed Forces and ensuring the country’s national defence duties continue to be carried out effectively.
The development coincides with a probe launched by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) into alleged irregularities in army project procurements on Dec 23.
It was reported that MACC officers visited the Defence Ministry to investigate open-tender projects and procurements under the Pusat Tanggungjawab (PTJ) Tentera Darat. The probe is scrutinising several companies that had repeatedly secured high-value contracts in recent years, according to several news reports.
Muhammad Hafizuddeain has been serving as Army chief since September 2023, after a brief tenure as deputy chief from April to September that year.
New leadership for Malaysian Army
Separately, Mohamed Khaled announced that the current chief of staff of the Malaysian Armed Forces headquarters, Liutenant Datuk Azhan Md Othman, has been appointed the 31st chief of the Malaysian Army, effective Jan 1, 2026.
This appointment, also decided during the 631st Armed Forces Council meeting, received royal assent from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim on Dec 1, 2025.
Mohamed Khaled said the new leadership appointments are expected to strengthen the Malaysian Army’s leadership and enhance the operational capabilities of the Malaysian Armed Forces to meet current and future defence needs.