THE Malaysian army will be re-evaluating its training doctrine as well as the equipment required to combat a global event such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

Army chief Gen Ahmad Hasbullah Mohd Nawawi said, in the context of Covid-19, the army will be outlining training methods where the enemy is invisible.

“It is clear we need to set up a team to study how the armed forces in the world face such enemies,” he told reporters after visiting a roadblock at Sekama today.

Also present at the visit were Sarawak Police Commissioner Aidi Ismail, army eastern field commander Lt Gen Zamrose Mohd Zain and first division infantry commander Maj Gen Mohd Din Abu.

Meanwhile, Hasbullah said apart from physical enemies, the army is also facing ideological threats similar to that during the cold war.

“I have ordered the deputy army chief and the Malaysian army training and doctrine command commander to look at the events happening now and its implications on our preparedness and capability to mount such an operation,” he said.

In Sarawak, 500 army personnel have been deployed at 33 roadblocks and 22 vehicle patrols during the movement-control order (MCO) from phase one to four.

Under the conditional MCO (CMCO), only 22 roadblocks and 20 vehicle patrols as well as 11 monitoring teams are deployed with 369 army personnel.

In this regard, Hasbullah said the Malaysian armed forces views seriously the security at the land and sea borders as more than 5,000 personnel are on duty at all Malaysian borders.

“The military is also mobilising personnel and teams randomly and in rotation for border control duties especially at the Malaysia-Kalimantan and Malaysia-Brunei borders.

“Cumulatively, there were 21 successful actions achieved through detention, seizures, repatriation and arrest from patrols and control to tighten rat trails at the Kalimantan-Sarawak border during the enforcement of MCO,” he added. – Bernama, May 15, 2020.