Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM); Ministry of Home Affairs: the Royal Malaysian Police (PRMD, includes the General Operations Force, a paramilitary force with a variety of roles, including patrolling borders, counter-terrorism, maritime security, and counterinsurgency) (2021)
note: Malaysia created a National Special Operations Force in 2016 for combating terrorism threats; the force is comprised of personnel from the Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Malaysian Coast Guard, MMEA)
Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Force, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (2020)
Military service age and obligation
17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription (2019)
17 years of age for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve; recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
1% of GDP (2019)
1% of GDP (2018)
1.1% of GDP (2017)
1.4% of GDP (2016)
3.3% of GDP (2019)
2.6% of GDP (2018)
2.9% of GDP (2017)
3.5% of GDP (2016)
3.3% of GDP (2015)
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Malaysian Armed Forces have approximately 115,000 active duty troops (80,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force) (2020)
the Royal Brunei Armed Forces is comprised of approximately 6,500 total active troops (4,500 Army; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Malaysian Armed Forces field a diverse mix of imported weapons systems; the top suppliers of military hardware since 2010 are France, Germany, Spain, and Turkey (2020)
the Royal Brunei Armed Forces imports nearly all of its military equipment and weapons systems; the top supplier since 2010 is Germany (2020)
