KUALA LUMPUR: Perlis Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah has been conferred the honorary rank of Brigadier General in the Territorial Army (Askar Wataniah) to help boost volunteer recruitment and public participation in national defence.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the appointment reflected the role of state governments in supporting the armed forces and strengthening national defence preparedness.
He said the Territorial Army currently had 35,000 personnel, with the ministry targeting the recruitment of 6,000 new volunteers annually.
