KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 12): Former Army chief Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan wants to take early retirement from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), effective Jan 1, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said. He said this was conveyed through Muhammad Hafizuddeain’s lawyer on Monday, allowing the Armed Forces Council to begin the process of identifying a new candidate for the post of Chief of Defence Force (CDF). “I have received a letter from Hafizuddeain’s lawyer, stating that he expressed his intention to retire early from the Armed Forces, specifically the Army, effective Jan 1 this year. As is known, the Armed Forces Council had previously decided to appoint him as Chief of Defence Force,” he said. “The Armed Forces Council will submit its recommendation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, as the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, for consent, and this process will take some time,” he said.

Source: The Edge Markets January 12, 2026 08:22 UTC