BANTING: There should not be any question that despite being peaceful, the country needs to invest in its defence sector, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
"We must do so to ensure our readiness remains at the highest level, and our personnel are individuals who are spirited and always prepared to defend and safeguard our homeland.
"Even in times of peace, we need to allocate significant funding to the defence sector because peace, too, comes at a cost," he said in his speech during the Defence Ministry's Media Day, here.
Also present were Royal Malaysian Air Force chief General Tan Sri Asghar Khan Goriman Khan and the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali.
As such, Khaled said he is grateful that the country continues to prioritise the defence sector.
In the 2025 budget, the defence ministry received RM21.1 billion, an increase of around seven per cent from 2024 budget of RM 19.7 billion.
Khaled added the ministry's media day programme is crucial to highlight the capabilities of the armed forces.
"We aim to provide a general insight to the preparedness and capabilities of our defence forces.
"This allows us all to witness and experience firsthand the routines and real challenges they face in the world of defence," he said.
Khaled also extended his appreciation to the media which covered and reported the news professionally and effectively.
Earlier, around 50 media personnel attended the programme, held at the RMAF Jugra Air Base.
Members of the press were given the challenge to spend 24 hours as a member of the armed forces, guided by the RMAF's Special Forces (Paskau).
Among the activities were obstacle runs, survival training, firearms training and abseiling.
They were also given a first hand insight of Paskau's role through the maritime rescue operations, hostage rescue and tactical firearms use demonstrations.