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THE Defence Ministry has said firm action, including prosecution in the military court, will be taken against 15 armed forces officers allegedly involved in immoral activities linked to the so-called ‘Yeye’ culture within military camps.
New Straits Times cited Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari saying that the ministry maintains clear disciplinary regulations and does not tolerate any conduct that undermines the values of the armed forces, whether involving the army, navy or air force.
He said any breach of discipline would first be addressed internally through the formation of an investigation committee, before being referred to the military court for trial.
“We are aware that the military system has its own military court, and those involved will be tried there.
“They will be given due process to determine whether the allegations are true, and they will have the opportunity to respond to all charges before any punishment is imposed,” he said.
Adly was responding to remarks by Malaysian army chief General Datuk Azhan Md Othman, who had earlier confirmed that 15 officers had been identified as being involved in immoral activities associated with the ‘Yeye’ culture, which recently drew public attention after going viral on social media.
The deputy minister said the Defence Ministry remained committed to nurturing a culture of integrity and professionalism among armed forces personnel, while acknowledging that meaningful cultural change within military institutions requires time.
However, he stressed that hedonistic behaviour was wholly unacceptable, both at the ministerial level and within the military itself, echoing comments made by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin in the ministry’s recent New Year address.
“Whatever has occurred, whether isolated or otherwise, if it does not reflect our military culture, action will be taken in accordance with existing processes and regulations, including proceedings in the military court,” he said.
Adly, who is also the Member of Parliament for Alor Gajah, was speaking to reporters after attending a Yee Sang dinner held in conjunction with Chinese New Year decorations themed ‘Gadis Bunga’ at Kampung Permai Machap Umboo Baru on Saturday night.
Separately, governance watchdogs have renewed calls for deep structural reforms to Malaysia’s defence and security procurement system, warning that recent moves to freeze procurement would have little impact unless long-standing weaknesses were addressed.
Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism chief executive officer Pushpan Murugiah said the freeze was a necessary and overdue signal, but would only be meaningful if it led to genuine structural correction and reform.
“Abuses persist because the problem is structural. Government procurement operates under a fragmented framework, relying on Treasury instructions, Finance Ministry circulars and internal ministry procedures,” he said.
“In practice, defence and police procurements often rely on direct negotiations, restricted tenders or national security exemptions. This weakens competition, transparency and accountability.”
Pushpan said there was no independent grievance mechanism for bidders, whistle-blowers or affected parties to challenge irregular procurement decisions, while excessive discretion allowed ‘national security’ or ‘urgency’ exceptions to be invoked without independent verification.
“Defence procurement remains opaque by default, with weak consequences for wrongdoing.
“Audit red flags and complaints rarely lead to sanctions or reforms, reinforcing a culture of impunity. When decisions are highly centralised, the risk of political interference and policy capture increases,” he said.
He added that defence and security procurement should be governed by defence-specific regulations under the Government Procurement Act framework, including measures to address the excessive concentration of power in the hands of the finance minister.
“Oversight must include independent, multi-agency scrutiny, a strengthened ombudsman, parliamentary supervision and a credible grievance mechanism for early detection and correction of abuse.
“Clear conflict-of-interest rules and post-award transparency are essential,” he said.
Transparency International Malaysia president Raymon Ram also underscored the need to tighten accountability and restore public confidence in how national security funds are spent.
“Even with rules favouring open competition, procurement can be channelled through limited tenders or negotiated awards under ‘urgency’ or ‘security’ grounds, often without independent review.
“Excessive secrecy reduces transparency and accountability,” he said, citing the Tshwane Principles, or the Global Principles on National Security and the Right to Information.
The principles state that national security cannot be used as a justification to withhold information simply to avoid embarrassment, conceal wrongdoing or obstruct oversight. - January 18, 2026