KUALA LUMPUR, 9 Dec 2008: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today urged military personnel to write books on their experiences during overseas stints.
Abdullah, who is also defence minister, said military personnel who had served in places like Bosnia Herzegovina and Somalia should put pen to paper to give a true picture of what they had experienced.
He said the Hollywood crowd was fond of shooting war films world but did not always give a correct portrayal of what really happened, like in the film, Black Hawk Dawn which involved the Malaysian Armed Forces.
“This is detrimental to us. Actually our own people should be writing the script,” he said when opening the Malaysian Armed Forces Leadership Excellence Centre at the Defence Ministry here.
He also launched the book, Marksman in the 21st Century, written to Defence Forces chief General Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal and opened a two-week leadership course for 20 military officers, the first of a series.
The prime minister said experience was the best teacher to become leaders with integrity.
“A leader needs ability and knowledge in various field so that he can handle any situation,” he added.
He wanted the leadership excellence centre to be among the best in the world, one capable of drawing foreign military forces to send their senior officers to exchange ideas with the Malaysian Armed Forces. — Bernama
