Page 263 - VC Message

Home of the Bright. Land of the Brave

Di Sini Bermulanya Pintar, Tanah Tumpahnya Berani

16 OCTOBER 2025

oday, I had the honour of meeting YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed
Khaled bin Nordin, Minister of Defence, at Wisma
Pertahanan, Kuala Lumpur, in a meaningful discussion
Tto strengthen Universiti Malaya’s strategic collaboration 255
with the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), a partnership that is vital
in advancing our shared responsibilities to the nation’s security,
progress, and resilience.

Our dialogue explored new dimensions of cooperation in defence research,
technological innovation, and human capital development, including joint academic
programmes, short courses, and research initiatives in cybersecurity, maritime safety,
high-impact defence technologies, and national security strategy.
At Universiti Malaya, we take pride in the role of our Pasukan Latihan Pegawai
Simpanan (PALAPES) in nurturing disciplined, visionary, and patriotic graduates. We
are committed to increasing student participation - including the establishment of
PALAPES Udara - while enhancing training facilities to support large-scale exercises
that strengthen both physical endurance and moral resilience.
In addition, UM is placing strong emphasis on expanding student participation in the
PALAPES programme by increasing the number of cadet officers and broadening
the training units on campus. This initiative not only ensures that training capacity
keeps pace with the growing student population, but also strengthens UM’s role as a
centre for cultivating disciplined, resilient, and future-ready human capital for national
defence.
Wider participation will enable the nation to build a larger and better-prepared pool
of reserve officers, ready to serve and contribute to Malaysia’s defence whenever
needed. This effort forms an essential foundation in developing a competitive and
skilled Future Force, in line with the Ministry of Defence’s vision to forge stronger
strategic collaboration between higher education institutions and the national security
agenda.