Postcard—Kuala Lumpur
By SQNLDR Steve Hancock
Living in Malaysia, travelling around Asia, interacting with Service people from various parts of the world, and eating chilli stingray—what more could you ask for?
My mission was to learn about Malaysian defence strategies, and the best place to do that was at the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College. The start of my knowledge quest saw me join 40 international students from 29 countries—with varying command of the English language and a spread of ranks from Squadron Leader to Colonel—together with 125 Malaysian’s from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Police. The mix of cultural, ethnic, and military experiences made for a diverse and interesting course.
The course ran over three semesters with the first six months spent studying towards the Diploma in Defence and Strategic Studies through the University of Malaya. Topics covered included:
- international relations
- Malaysian studies (history of Malaysia)
- regional security
- national security, and
- defence and strategic studies (nuclear warfare, leadership principles, terrorism etc).
Apart from attending lectures, I was required to:
- write several 3,000–5,000-word essays
- write a 13,000-word thesis
- complete two-hour written quizzes each Friday, and
- sit 5 two-hour exams.
It was all worth it though. I passed the course with honours, had my research paper (also known as the Commandant’s Paper) selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of the Haigate Papers—an annual publication showcasing seven research papers from the University of Malaya research methodology module—and received the award for the Best Overseas Commandant’s Paper at our graduation ceremony.
The second semester was the Air Force phase of the course and a chance for a Human Resources Officer (HRO) to delve into planning things like Offensive Counter Air Operations, Defensive Counter Air Operations, Logistical planning for operations and table-top and computer based war-gaming. Semester three involved joint military operational planning and exercises.
Life in Malaysia was somewhat daunting, at first—the huge volume of traffic and people, coupled with 40°C heat and 85% humidity—but I got used to it. The course has given me the opportunity to interact with a diverse bunch of people and gain some insight into the military philosophies of some of the countries represented here. I’m now looking forward to returning home and taking on the challenges presented by the changing face of the RNZAF, particularly within the Administration world.
And yes, the chilli stingray is all that it’s cracked up to be—hot and exotic!