KUALA LUMPUR: Lieutenant-General Datuk Azhan Md Othman has been promoted to the rank of General following his appointment as the 31st Army Chief, effective Jan 1.
Azhan was formally conferred the four-star rank at a ceremony today at Wisma Pertahanan by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and his wife, Datin Noor Ainy Mohd Ali.
His appointment was also witnessed by acting armed forces chief Admiral Tan Sri Dr Zulhelmy Ithnain and Royal Malaysian Air Force chief General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris.
Azhan’s appointment was made in accordance with the decision of the 631st Armed Forces Council meeting on Nov 19, 2025, and received Royal Assent from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on Dec 1, last year.
He succeeds the incumbent Army chief, General Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan.
The army said Azhan’s leadership background and experience are expected to ensure continuity in the service’s leadership while further strengthening the army’s readiness as the main pillar of national defence.
It added that integrity, transparent governance and the inculcation of noble military values would be emphasised as the core of his leadership, in line with the Future Force – Land Domain Strategy, which supports the aspirations of the Defence White Paper.
The army said the welfare of personnel and their families would continue to be prioritised to ensure their well-being remains safeguarded.
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Born in Muar, Johor, on Sept 4, 1969, Azhan began his military career as an officer cadet in 1987 and was commissioned into the Royal Malay Regiment in 1989.
An infantry officer by training, he has held various command and staff appointments, including commanding officer of the 24th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment, instructor at the Armed Forces Staff College, and commander of Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) 850-6.
He also served as the 2nd Infantry Division commander before he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations and Training) at the Army Headquarters in September 2024.
He is a graduate of the French Joint Defence College and holds a diploma in strategic and defence studies from Universiti Malaya.
On Dec 27, Hafizuddeain was placed on leave with immediate effect following an investigation by the authorities into allegations linked to him.
Khaled had said the move was to ensure the probe could proceed without any conflict of interest.
-NewStraitsTime
