SANDAKAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia remains a peaceful and stable maritime nation but stressed the need to continually strengthen defence assets and skills.
He told a gathering in Sandakan on Saturday that upgrading equipment must go hand in hand with proper management to prevent weaknesses or misconduct.
Anwar said the welfare of military personnel was a priority, noting that the government was also allocating significant resources to meet their current needs.
He announced that the government wanted the construction of naval housing quarters in Batu 10 here to be expedited, with the state also committed to settling the land issue.
Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar later said the housing project, which will provide 225 units, is in the final stage of tendering and is expected to be completed by 2030.