KUALA LUMPUR: All Malaysians, including local Chinese, are responsible in defending the country, says Lieutenant General Datuk Johnny Lim Eng Seng, the first Chinese senior officer to attain the prestigious three-star rank in the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).

“Both defense and security policies require the entire government and society to act together,” he said.

Life in the military offer valuable life lessons, he said.

“The experience gained in the army, navy, or air force is immeasurable and irreplaceable; it will stay with you for a lifetime.

“There is no greater honor than defending your country alongside your comrades, regardless of race,” he said in the first media interview after receiving the promotion.

Lim was promoted from major general to lieutenant general in late June, and has become the first Chinese senior officer to have attained the rank.

“I hope this promotion can inspire my Malaysian Chinese comrades in the military and also encourage young people interested in joining,” he said.

The MAF has long been predominantly Malay, as reflected in the statistics where Chinese Malaysians make up only 0.03 percent of the armed forces—279 out of a total of 5,000 soldiers.

Lim said while there have been three-star lieutenants general of Indian and Iban descent, he is the first of Chinese descent.

He said that his promotion was widely publicized mainly because the military hopes to encourage more Chinese to join the force.

Lim recently paid a visit to the Minister of Defense Datuk Seri Mohamad Khaled Nordin, who told him it is necessary to attract more young Chinese Malaysians, as the country’s defense should not solely rely on a single ethnic group.

While many local Chinese believe that entrepreneurship is the path to wealth, Lim, who was determined to join the military since young, stated that although the training is tough, it can be accomplished with determination.

He emphasized that military service has always been a respected and honorable profession.

More young Chinese are urged to join the force through the University Cadet Corps (PALAPES) where every university has a branch for students to undergo military training.

Joining the army doesn’t necessarily mean being a frontline soldier. The military has many positions, such as mechanical engineers, technician and others, he explained.

The awareness among the local Chinese is picking up.

“Last year and this year, about 12 to 13 Chinese officers graduated from military school. But these are just officers. We also hope to increase the proportion of Chinese recruited as soldiers,” he said.

As there have been occasional reports of bullying at the National Defense University in recent years, Lim said the issue of “race” does not exist in the armed forces.

He emphasized that when facing danger and challenges, the Chinese, Malays and Indians in this country all face the same problems because danger does not distinguish race.

“When carrying out our missions, the risks and uncertainties faced by everyone are exactly the same.

“In the military, unity is very important, and this is the third pillar of national security policy,” he said.

Hailing from Melaka, Lim joined the Royal Military College in Sungai Buloh in 1984 after graduating from St Francis Secondary School.

He was sent to the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom the following year as part of the 25th intake of Regular Commissioning Course.

He was commissioned into the Royal Ranger Regiment (RRD) after graduation.

Lim joined the student cadet association in school, where training was conducted at the 21st Camp in Sungai Udang.

That experience sparked his interest in becoming a soldier.

However, as the eldest son, Lim’s mother did not approve of his decision to join the army, as Malaysia was still fighting against the Malayan Communist Party at that time.

“Because I was the eldest son, my mother was afraid of losing me. But my grandfather and father had both experienced wars, and my grandfather even participated in the volunteer force during the Japanese occupation. So, I slowly changed my mother’s mind,” he said.

In his 41-year military career, Lim experienced the war against communist insurgents and the Movement Control Order during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He was also sent to South Korea to study a security studies course, where he built ties with foreign schools and was even awarded the title of “Honorary Citizen of Nonsan City, South Korea,” he said.

Even after becoming a commander, Lim often had to go into the jungle, leaving his wife and young children behind without being able to contact them.

This was a great sacrifice for him, as it reduced the time he spent with his wife and children.

His children, when they were young, couldn’t understand why their father always had to be away.

“You can imagine being away from your family for more than two months. Many people don’t realize what we soldiers have to go through, but we do, and it’s very tough.”