ARMED FORCES OF MALAYSIA

The Armed Forces of Malaysia consist of three branches: the Malaysian Army, the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Malaysian Army Flag
Royal Malaysian Navy Flag
Royal Malaysian Air Force Flag

According to Global Firepower's 2015 statistics, Malaysia’s military strength is ranked at 35th out of 126 countries. Their method of ranking takes account of factors such as oil resources, logistical strength, financial resources and land area (all important factors in the case of war) in addition to pure military muscle. Key military statistics include:

Active Frontline Personnel 110,000

Tanks 74

Total Aircraft 217

Naval Strength 61, including 2 submarines.


The Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook states that Malaysia’s military expenditure as a percentage of GDP was 1.5% in 2014. This compared to its neighbours as follows:

Singapore   3.52% (2012)

Indonesia   0.78% (2012)

Thailand    1.5% (2013)

Philippines 1.19% (2012)


Global Firepower’s rankings for these neighbours is:

Singapore 26th

Indonesia 12th

Thailand 20th

Philippines 40th

Learn More About Armed Forces of Malaysia

Visitors and Malaysians wishing to find out more about the Malaysian Armed Forces can take a look at the respective museums for each of the three branches:

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AUTHOR BIO

cartoon of author with an orangutan

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing firsthand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published 700+ pages, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places even many Malaysians have never visited.