Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia faces thousands of attack attempts in a month and called for stronger military cyber defenses as the government sets a record defense budget.
Anwar cited recurring cyberattack attempts and said he met with senior armed forces leaders the previous week to discuss strengthening the military's cybersecurity unit, Bernama reported. He spoke Nov. 14 at the 515 Territorial Army Regiment Camp during an event for National Service Training Programme participants known as National Young Heroes.
Anwar listed cyberattacks, computer-system intrusions and terrorist-cell movements as major security risks. He also cited a recent disruption at a U.S. airport tied to telecommunications problems and said the final report was still pending.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the defense ministry's allocation had reached a historic high, matching allocations for education and health. He said the money would help replace aging ships, aircraft and armored vehicles. Military planning, he added, should account for drone technology while preserving conventional capabilities.
Anwar said the government wanted to avoid past procurement problems involving agents and high commissions, which he linked to abandoned ship projects worth millions of ringgit.
