PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA January 31, 2026 – Lieutenant General Datuk Haji Malek Razak bin Sulaiman has been appointed as the 24th Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of Malaysia, effective 1 February 2026. He has been promoted to the rank of General with the consent of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced the appointment in a media statement today. The appointment was made in line with the recommendation of the 633rd Special Meeting of the Armed Forces Council held on 29 January, and received Royal consent on 30 January.
Prior to this, Lt Gen Datuk Haji Malek Razak held the position of Commander of Western Field Command, Malaysian Army. He began his military career in 1985 as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom, and was commissioned on 11 December 1987 with the rank of Second Lieutenant.
Over nearly 40 years of service, he has held various command and staff appointments, demonstrating outstanding ability, capability, excellence, and high leadership qualities. He holds a Diploma in Strategic and Security Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a Bachelor’s Degree in Defence Studies from King’s College London, and a Master of Social Science (Defence) from UKM.
This appointment is expected to ensure strong and continuous leadership in strengthening national defence and Malaysia’s sovereignty.
Congratulations to General Datuk Haji Malek Razak bin Sulaiman on his appointment. May he continue to lead the Malaysian Armed Forces with excellence and integrity.
(Source: Statement by the Minister of Defence, Bernama, and official media reports)
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