KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The government will strengthen Malaysia’s preparedness against geopolitical uncertainties and global security threats, including ensuring adequate and uninterrupted supplies of food, water and energy.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said developments in international conflicts showed that security threats were no longer limited to conventional warfare but also encompassed cyberattacks, the spread of misinformation, sabotage of critical infrastructure and supply chain disruptions.
He said the government was taking these developments seriously and had convened a special National Security Council (NSC) meeting yesterday to assess the country’s preparedness and the effectiveness of existing mechanisms in responding to crises and hybrid threats.
“Following the discussions, the government believes that existing national security and crisis management mechanisms must be further strengthened, particularly in terms of inter-agency coordination, information sharing and clearly defined responsibilities.
“This approach is crucial to ensuring that measures can be implemented in a more organised manner, without overlapping responsibilities or delays in decision-making,” Anwar said when delivering a statement in the Dewan Rakyat today on the country’s security preparedness in the face of geopolitical conflicts and regional and international security tensions.
The prime minister said the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach would continue to be emphasised, as crisis preparedness was not the responsibility of any single agency but required cooperation among ministries, security agencies, the private sector and the public.
He said the government would therefore focus on five key areas, beginning with strengthening coordination among ministries and agencies through closer cooperation and information sharing, as well as improving preparedness for various threats through regular training and simulation exercises.
Other priorities include strengthening the protection of critical national infrastructure and strategic sectors, including energy, telecommunications, transport, finance and food supplies.
The government will also enhance public preparedness through education programmes, crisis management training and basic household emergency preparedness guidelines.
These efforts will further include strengthening the capabilities of security and crisis management agencies through expertise development, training, improved assets and the use of appropriate technology, including enhancing the capabilities of frontline agencies such as the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
Anwar said that to ensure these measures were implemented promptly and systematically, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar would chair a meeting with secretaries-general and directors-general tomorrow, including to ensure adequate national food supplies and prevent disruptions to water and energy supplies.
Earlier today, Reuters reported that Anwar was responding to directives and advice issued to citizens of the European Union, Canada and Japan to stockpile food following cyberattacks targeting digital infrastructure across Europe and other Western countries, including administrative systems.
“We are still monitoring other developments. They involve tensions in West Asia, developments in Yemen and the Red Sea, and security threats in Europe.
“These show that crises abroad can also affect the safety of our people, our economic stability and our national interests,” he said in Parliament.
