About the Alumni
Established in November 2011, the Malaysia-Australia Defence Alumni Association's (M-ADAA) mission is to strengthen the person-to-person relationship between the Malaysian and Australian Army, Navy, Air Force and Ministry of Defence personnel who have spent time studying, training or on secondment in each other's country.
We also hope that the establishment of M-ADAA will further strengthen the long-lasting defence relationship between Malaysia and Australia. Membership is open to all Malaysian and Australian servicemen who have spent time studying, training or on secondment in each other's country.
A History of the Australia-Malaysia Defence Relationship
The Australian Defence Force`s commitment to the security of Malaysia is longstanding. It began with the Malayan Campaign in World War II (1941-1945), followed shortly after by the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) and Indonesian Confrontation (1963-1966).
Since those conflicts, the defence relationship between Australia and Malaysia has continued to develop under the auspices of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (1971-current) to RMAF Butterworth and the Malaysia Australia Joint Defence Program (1992-current), aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the bi-lateral defence relationship between Malaysia and Australia. Significant numbers of Malaysian Armed Forces personnel also undertake military training courses in Australia at institutions such as Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Command and Staff College, Australian Defence Force Academy, Duntroon Royal Military College as well as Masters programmes in Australia and a number of short courses.
Australian officers attend the Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentera. Australia and Malaysia also conduct frequent bi-lateral exercises to improve interoperability, promote understanding of each other’s unique operational environments and to strengthen the military skills and capabilities of both forces. In Kuala Lumpur on 22 November 2015, Australia and Malaysia announced a Joint Declaration of Strategic Partnership to mark the 60th anniversary of Australia’s diplomatic presence in Malaysia.
A History In Making
Malaysia Australia Joint Defence Program
The last major development in the history of Australia's close defence relationship with Malaysia occurred in 1992 with the signing of the Malaysia Australia Joint Defence Program (MAJDP), aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the bi-lateral defence relationship between Malaysia and Australia.
Under the program, ADF officers have the opportunity of undertaking long-term attachments with the MAF while similar numbers of Malaysian officers are attached to ADF Units. Significant numbers of MAF personnel also undertake military training courses in Australia at institutions such as Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Command and Staff College, Australian Defence Force Academy and the Duntroon Royal Military College while Australian officers attend the Maktab Turus Angkatan Tentera. Australia and Malaysia also conduct frequent bi-lateral exercises to improve interoperability, promote understanding of each other's unique operational environments and to strengthen the military skills and capabilities of both forces.
Materials Extracted from: Diggers: The Australian Army, Navy and Air Force in Eleven Wars, George Odgers, Landsdowne Publishing Ltd 2000. Australian War Memorial Encyclopedia: www.awm.gov.au The 5 Power Defence Arrangements, Group Captain Allan Crowe, Percetakan Konta Sdn Berhad.