Mindef to set up more specialist regiments, boost reserve force numbers

PETALING JAYA: The Defence Ministry will establish specialist regiments in key strategic sectors, including oil and gas, healthcare, cybersecurity, and the media to strengthen the Armed Forces ecosystem, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. Read full story PETALING JAYA: The Defence Ministry will establish specialist regiments in key strategic sectors, including oil and gas, healthcare, cybersecurity, and the media to strengthen the Armed Forces ecosystem, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.Khaled said these sectors were identified as areas requiring expert participation to enhance national defence preparedness.He also said the move is part of broader efforts to build and strengthen the reserve branch of the Armed Forces to more effectively complement the regular force."In the past, our Territorial Army (Askar Wataniah) comprised individuals from various backgrounds and was not specialised in any particular field."Today, however, there are critical sectors that we must safeguard and protect, including oil and gas, transport such as ports, and rail, which plays an important role in public mobility."These sectors are exposed to various threats. Whether in times of war or even in peacetime, incidents could occur without our knowledge," he said at the launch of the 50th Railway Specialist Regiment Rapid Rail Squadron here on Monday (Feb 16).The squadron will provide specialised support in rail operations, maintenance, protection and emergency response, particularly during crises, disasters or major service disruptions.Meanwhile, Khaled said the country should aim for a comparable number of reserve personnel to achieve a one-to-one ratio with the regular force.He added that a strong reserve force would allow the country to avoid maintaining an excessively large standing force during peacetime, which would involve significantly higher costs."The government’s approach to ensuring defence needs are met without incurring excessive expenditure is through the establishment and strengthening of the reserve force."This is our goal to ensure that the nation’s defence capability remains at a high level of readiness in facing any eventuality," he said. Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates! Tags / Keywords: Defence Ministry , Mohd Khaled Nordin , Armed Forces , Reserve Force , Specialist Regiments , Rapid Rail Squadron , Oil and Gas , Transport , Cybersecurity , Media Report a mistake What is the issue about? Spelling and grammatical error Factually incorrect Story is irrelevant This field is mandatory. Please provide details of the report. Email (optional) Please enter valid email. Report issue Cancel Invalid captcha response. Please re-try again. Thank you for your report! Related News World 03 Feb 2026 Poland detains Defence Ministry employee suspected of collaborating with Russia, Onet reports Cambodia 10 Feb 2026 Defence officials dismiss Thai claims of military build-up Nation 29 Jan 2026 All Kedah-class vessels to have surface-to-surface missiles, says Defence Ministry