By: Zaki Salleh
IPOH – The chance to witness military equipment, including vehicles, adds to public knowledge about the roles of our security forces in safeguarding the nation.
Visitors, particularly the youth, can gain a deeper understanding of potential career opportunities, including joining the reserve army.
Food vendor Daniel Arman Mohamad Hasan commented that with events like open days, both the public and the local community can see the assets and duties of the military firsthand.
“Most people know that the military’s role involves going to war, but in reality, there are many other branches within the armed forces, such as engineering and medicine.
“Today, I had the opportunity to see these for myself and have a conversation with military personnel from various units,” he said.
He was among the thousands of Ipoh residents who didn’t miss the chance to attend the celebration of the 68th Anniversary of the Second Infantry Brigade of Malaysia (2 Briged) at MBI Ipoh Square.
College student Aleesya Damia Zahra Hamid, on the other hand, expressed her excitement to join the National Reserve Army (Askar Wataniah) after receiving an explanation.
With a passion for outdoor activities, she found the idea of joining the volunteer uniformed force, particularly Askar Wataniah, highly appealing.
“Along with 2-3 friends, we are planning to join this unit to contribute our services to the nation,” she said.
Meanwhile, retired military personnel, Mohamad Nor Khalid, attended the event with his grandson to get a closer look at the current state of the Malaysian Army.
Having retired from the military 20 years ago, he praised the efforts of the 2 Briged headquarters for organizing an open day.
“It’s rare for the general public to have access and witness military assets here, and today they were allowed to closely observe the role of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) in safeguarding the nation,” he said.
