KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry is drafting a white paper on boosting national security that focuses on “total defence”.
Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong said it would look into issues such as security in Sabah, the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca, and cyber warfare.
He said it would be the first time in the country’s history that a defence white paper would be tabled in Parliament.
“The ministry is now embarking on the process of writing the defence white paper and consulting all stakeholders for that purpose.
“Hopefully it will be a long-term foundational document on the way we should conduct defence and national security in the future,” Liew said at the Parliament lobby, here, today.
“The idea is to provide a policy direction on addressing strategic challenges,” he added.
“If we understand the challenges (before us) then we can decide on the direction of procurement and (other) elements of the defence industry.
“This will be the first time in history that a defence policy is tabled and debated in the house.
“What we want to inculcate is this idea of 'total defence'.
“The ministry understands the defence challenges we are facing, and so we (will) have a national consensus on how to beef up defence and also how to secure the nation in general.
“I think defence is not just about the ministry, but it is a collective reponsibility of the people," Liew said, adding that the white paper was expected to be tabled during the Parliament session at the end of the year.