The current Malaysian Minister of Defence is Mohamed Khaled Nordin since 12 December 2023. The minister is supported by Deputy Minister of Defence which is Adly Zahari. The Minister administers the portfolio through the Ministry of Defence.
List of ministers of defence The following individuals have been appointed as Minister of Defence, or any of its precedent titles:
Political party:
Portrait Name(Birth–Death)ConstituencyPolitical party Title Took office Left office Deputy Minister Prime Minister(Cabinet) Abdul Razak Hussein(1922–1976)(Deputy Prime Minister) MP for Pekan Alliance (UMNO) Minister of Defence 31 August 1957 22 September 1970Vacant Tunku Abdul Rahman(I • II • III • IV) Hamzah Abu Samah(1924–2012)MP for Raub 13 August 1973 14 September 1974 Abdul Razak Hussein(I) Mustapha Harun(1918–1995)MP for Marudu BN (USNO) 15 September 1974 1974Dzulkifli Abdul Hamid Abdul Razak Hussein(II) Abdul Razak Hussein(1922–1976)(Prime Minister)MP for Pekan BN (UMNO) 1974 1976Mokhtar Hashim Abdul Razak Hussein(II) Hussein Onn(1922–1990)MP for Sri Gading 1976 1978 Hussein Onn(I) Abdul Taib Mahmud(1936–2024)MP for Samarahan BN (PBB) 1978 1979 Hussein Onn(II) Hussein Onn(1922–1990)(Prime Minister) MP for Sri Gading BN (UMNO) 1979 16 July 1981Abu Hassan Omar Hussein Onn(II) Mahathir Mohamad(b. 1925)(Prime Minister)MP for Kubang Pasu 17 July 1981 6 May 1986Abang Abu Bakar Mahathir Mohamad(I • II) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi(1939–2025)MP for Kepala Batas 11 August 1986 7 May 1987 Mahathir Mohamad(III) Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Ismail(1932–2022)MP for Kota Bharu 20 May 1987 26 October 1990 Najib Razak(b. 1953)MP for Pekan 27 October 1990 7 May 1995Wan Abu Bakar Wan Mohamed Mahathir Mohamad(IV) Syed Hamid Albar(b. 1944)MP for Kota Tinggi 8 May 1995 14 December 1999Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan Mahathir Mohamad(V) Najib Razak(b. 1953)(Deputy Prime Minister)MP for Pekan 15 December 1999 18 March 2008Shafie Apdal Zainal Abidin Zin Mahathir Mohamad(VI)Abdullah Ahmad Badawi(I • II) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi(1939–2025)(Prime Minister) MP for Kepala Batas 19 March 2008 9 April 2009Abu Seman Yusop Abdullah Ahmad Badawi(III) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi(b. 1953)MP for Bagan Datok 10 April 2009 15 May 2013Abdul Latiff Ahmad Najib Razak(I) Hishammuddin Hussein(b.1961)MP for Sembrong 16 May 2013 9 May 2018Abdul Rahim Bakri Mohd Johari Baharum Najib Razak(II) Mohamad Sabu PH (AMANAH) 21 May 2018 24 February 2020Liew Chin Tong Mahathir Mohamad(VII) Ismail Sabri Yaakob(b. 1960)(Senior Minister) (Deputy Prime Minister) MP for Bera BN (UMNO)Senior Minister of Defence 10 March 2020 7 July 2021Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz Muhyiddin Yassin(I)Minister of Defence7 July 202116 August 2021 Hishammuddin Hussein(b. 1961)(Senior Minister)MP for Sembrong Senior Minister of Defence 30 August 2021 24 November 2022 Ismail Sabri Yaakob(I) Mohamad Hasan(b. 1956)MP for Rembau Minister of Defence 3 December 2022 12 December 2023Adly ZahariAnwar Ibrahim(I) Mohamed Khaled Nordin(b. 1958)MP for Kota Tinggi 12 December 2023 Incumbent
References