Malaysian Military Weapons Lack Standardized Management System

On a special occasion when Brigadier General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail accepted some questions raised by the writer of this special feature of the Oriental Daily News, our Malaysian Army Chief has given his assurance that all the military weapons kept in the army camps throughout the country were safe. He said: "This is because the weapon storage places have strict security measure." Brigade General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail also said he has kept reminding his commanders the importance of looking after the security of military weapons and equipment kept in the army camps throughout the country.

Brigade General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail said that currently, the Malaysian Army has installed a computer system called CODIMS which is a system dedicated to monitor all the equipment in the Malaysian Army. However, as for an overall national weapon control and monitoring system, he confessed that the Ministry of Defense still did not have a standardized computerized weapon monitoring and control systems for all different units of the military barracks and camps in different places in the country.

Roof of Weapon Storage Area Sealed
It is learnt that in many weapon storage places inside the army barracks across the country, soldiers are still using the regular patrolling method to inspect the arsenal condition inside the camps. Such a method is quite difficult for senior commanders to learn or know the actual status or whereabouts of the weapons.

In response to such concern, Brigadier General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail said that the weapon storage places were fenced, weapons were kept in steel cabinets, and the roofs of the arsenals were sealed to prevent outsiders from climbing in through the roofs. Moreover, the military also has strict weapon control process that could prevent weapons from illegally taken out from the barracks.

Nevertheless, Brigadier General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail did mention that many of the present military barracks and camps were built during the British colonial period. As of today, many of them were in very bad shape. He said the Malaysian Army would apply for fund to renovate all the military camps and facilities under the Tenth Malaysia Plan. He added that at the same time he would also request fund to upgrade the weapon monitoring and control system.

Loopholes in Traditional System
Castle Technology Pte Ltd is a local company that provides armament management solutions. When asked to comment, its managing director Liu Qi Hao said that the Malaysian army barracks were established during British colonial ruled era. He said that the characteristics of the weapon storage method used by the British Army then was based on the use of chains and locks. The better one weapon houses would add in iron cabinets and one additional set of chains and locks.

In addition, they also used logbooks and set regular time to inspect the conditions of the weapons. This management method was simple and the maintenance cost was also low. But there were many disadvantages also. Liu Qi Hao pointed out that: First, all the firearms were constantly chained and locked. It was a hassle either to take them out to use or to keep them. Second, the contents of the logbooks were more error-prone and the writing on the logbooks could turn blur, or in the worst scenario, the whole record book could be misplaced or missing from sight.

Malaysia Faces Difficulty in Repeating Stolen Weapon Incidents

During the past 10 years, whenever news about the missing of some military weapons or equipment emerged in the local newspapers, these new would without fail become sensational topic for the nation. By the count of hands, we can easily recall a few of these stolen military weapon incidents. On 2 July 2000, some members of an extremist organization by the name of Al-Maunah disguised as senior military officers, went straight to the military camp in Gerik and walked away with more than 100 guns, firearms and ammunition.

In early 2006, some Steyr rifles were stolen in a number of military camps in the country. In 2009 when news about the stolen two sets of F-5Ejet fighter engines were exposed and carried by the local news, Malaysians' reaction toward the theft of such massive items was traumatically heated up. The mysterious of this theft and the path in which the two stolen jet engines were removed from the Kuala Lumpur air force base have left unresolved puzzle to the people.

Comprehensive and Secure System
Weapons and military equipment are considered as "sensitive items." These are also the great asset to any nation. As such the military in each country will have a set of comprehensive and secure system to store, to manage and even track the whereabouts of their military equipment. In this regard, how do we rate the military weapon management system in Malaysia? How much room Malaysia can upgrade and improve the weapon management system in the country?

It was difficult for Malaysians to know the scene behind the military weapon theft in the past years and it was also difficult for Malaysians to know the total military weapon management control procedure in the country because all these were considered by the Government as military secrets. Moreover it was also rare for our Malaysian Government in wanting to comprehensively explain incidents leading to the theft of military weapons and equipment to the people from the beginning to the end.

The Consequences
Putting Malaysians' speculation of the military weapon theft incident aside, people could only ponder upon the consequence of the theft or think about how and what the Ministry of Defense should do to strengthen weapon supervision and management. People would also ponder upon the possibility that some Malaysians' might have connection with the illegal international weapon smuggling syndicates.

Nevertheless, Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail, Brigade General of the Malaysian Army who has the overall responsibility for the army camps and who is also the Army Chief subjected to shoulder the responsibility of stolen or missing military weapons told Oriental Daily News that Malaysians should not be over worried about the safety and security of the country' military weapon storage and management problems. He has given his assurance of the safe keeping of these military weapons and equipment.