Comprehensive Defence: Challenges Faced by Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) in Operationalisation of HANRUH

Abstract

The idea of a collaborative approach by integrating national capabilities has been applied effectively since the First Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) to counter the aggressions of Communists insurgents. The synergised civil-military relations were vastly credited by scholars as one of the key elements in eliminating the security threat successfully. As Malaysia enjoys long periods of peaceful and prosperous development, the spirit of Comprehensive Defence (HANRUH) seems to be dissipating and fading away. The first Malaysia Defence White Paper (DWP) has once ag ain brought the concept of HANRUH into light. The study revealed that there are a few glitches in Malaysia’s defence ecosystem, besides the misperception of HANRUH as a military strategic concept exclusively for the Malaysia Armed Forces (MAF). The finding is based on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis to determine the diminishing factors affecting the operationalisation of HANRUH. Subsequently, the study proposed a pragmatic approach through the lens of Social Constructivism, to mitigate those challenges faced by MAF