

Globally, we are living in a new era with heightened great power competition and geopolitical challenges.
Defense and international relations are more talked about now than any time in the past three decades since the end of the Cold War.
The years and possibly decades to come, defense and security will return as a major concern of all societies.
The core idea of Malaysiaโs first-ever Defense White Paper which was presented to Parliament in December 2019 is to conceive Malaysia as a maritime nation. We are surrounded by the most important and contested waters in the world – the Malacca Straits and the South China Sea.
It is in this context that I congratulate Rotary Club of Damansara for honouring Tan Sri K. Thanabalasingam, the Malaysian Armed Forcesโ veterans, and the Australian Armed Forces for their contribution to Malaysiaโs defence and security. It is rare for civic groups like Rotary Club to think about defence but it is indeed the right thing to do and very apt for our time.
When I was Deputy Defence Minister, I had the honour to host Tan Sri K. Thanabalansingam for lunch very early during my tenure. He was responsible for some of the most consequential decisions for the Navy and the nation, such as deciding that the main naval bases would be in Lumut and Kuantan. We exchanged views on past conflicts and the role of the Armed Forces, and the future of Malaysiaโs defence. He struck me as a figure with a sharp mind and broad knowledge.
Tan Sri K. Thanabalasingam was the first Malaysian Navy Rear Admiral. He was the third Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy and the first Malaysian to be appointed to the post. He was only 31 years old in 1967.
Tan Sri K. Thanabalasingam made exceptional contributions throughout his illustrious career in the Navy. He laid the foundations for the Malaysian Navy and he is the role model of Malaysian leadership for the generations to come to emulate.
As friends and leaders from different fields and backgrounds gather here tonight, it is a befitting occasion to remind us that we all need to work together to build a better society. The government, policy-makers, NGOs and NPOs, advocacy groups and members of the public cannot work in silo. We are in this nation-building journey together.
I thank Rotary Club of Damansara and its new President Susan Joseph for the privilege to say a few words in honour of Tan Sri. I wish Tan Sri Thanabalasingam good health and everyone success in your future endeavors.
Share this article
Related Articles


- 16 Sep 2023ยท
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐

- 12 Sep 2023ยท
Green transition as a new investment opportunity
Join Us
Letโs build the next wave together
To all Malaysians who created the GE14 miracle, keep fighting. We will be back stronger.