‘Lack of non-Bumis in armed forces’
8 OCTOBER 2014 @ 8:12 AM



KUALA LUMPUR: There is a lack of non-Bumiputera participation in the Malaysian Armed Forces, said Defence Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein.

Hishammuddin said the ministry noted that most of the nation’s armed forces’ active personnel were from the Bumiputera community.

In a written reply to Joseph Salang Gandum (BN-Julau), he revealed that 98.2 per cent of soldiers in Malaysia were Bumiputera, while the remainder were non-Bumiputeras.

The minister said Bumiputera participation in the armed forces comprised Malays (85.5 per cent), Sabahans (8.5 per cent) and Sarawakians (5.7 per cent).

“The non-Bumiputeras who are serving in the armed forces include the Chinese (24.2 per cent), Indians (57.2 per cent) and other ethnic groups (18.6 per cent).”

Hishammuddin said officers serving in the armed forces were made up of 95.3 per cent of bumiputera while non-bumiputeras made up 4.7 per cent.

“A total of 98.6 per cent of soldiers holding other ranks in the armed forces are bumiputera, while the non-bumiputeras make up the remaining 1.4 per cent.”

There are about 110,000 active personnel serving in the Malaysian Armed Forces, with another 296,300 in the reserves.

http://www.nst.com.my/node/40812?