Category: Primer Series

The Kerangka Keberhasilan Kementerian is a mixed bag. By establishing a clear hierarchy of ideas, it gives us relevant insights about the substantive and practical matters that the Ministry and the Armed Forces has to address in their portfolio. However, it falls extremely short when it comes to correctly measuring or estimating the real impact of the various programs and activities. Thus, in its role in assessing the performance of the Ministry, it is not so useful as a framework.

We learn that the defence budget is shaped around two general categories of expenditures – Operating (specifically, Supply) and Development Expenditures. We also learn that the general trend for the last five years has seen defence spending hover around RM13 to RM15 billion. Finally, the reader has some idea of who the primary stakeholders the Ministry is, in effect, serving: the rakyat, foreign diplomatic missions, veterans and military pensioners, members of the defence industry, and some private sector and non-government entities.

What does the Defence Budget tell us? Are we spending too much, just enough, or too little on national defence? Which programs should be prioritized over others? This series of articles will break down the formatting and the structure of the Defence Budget.

Have you always had burning questions about the Malaysian Defence Budget? Is it enough? Is it too much? Why doContinue Reading