Mohd Nizam Jaffar

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Jaffar is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Mohd Nizam. The word "bin"/"ibn" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Yang Berbahagia General Tan Sri
Mohd Nizam Jaffar
PGAT PMN PSD SPKK SSPK SPTS DGSM PSAT DSDK PMW PAT SMP SDK KMN BCK PPS PPA PJM PNBB
محمد نظام جاففر‎
Mohd Nizam in 2025
23rd Chief of Defence Forces
In office
31 January 2025 – 27 December 2025
MonarchIbrahim Iskandar
MinisterMohamed Khaled Nordin
Preceded byMohammad Ab Rahman
Succeeded byZulhelmy Ithnain (acting)
Personal details
BornMohd Nizam bin Jaffar
(1966-08-03) 3 August 1966
Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
SpouseRisia Sheikh Ali Omar Bajarai[1]
Children1
EducationRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst
Alma materUniversity of Nottingham (MBA)[2]
OccupationMilitary officer
Military service
Allegiance Malaysia
Branch/service Malaysian Army
Rank General
UnitRoyal Malay Regiment
CommandsChief of Defence Forces
Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel Services
MALBATT 2
2nd Infantry Brigade
Battles/warsSecond Malayan Emergency

Mohd Nizam bin Jaffar (Jawi: محمد نظام بن جاففر‎; born 3 August 1966) is a Malaysian military officer who served as the 23rd Chief of Defence Forces from January 2025 to December 2025.[1][3][4][5]

Early life and education

Mohd Nizam bin Jaffar was born on 3 August 1966 in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. He received his early education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He also successfully completed his professional military education at the National Resilience College (MKN), National Defense Studies Center (PUSPAHANAS), Putrajaya in 2020 where he successfully won The National Resilience College (NRC) Award by the NRC Directing Staff Council. He has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nottingham and was awarded as a Fellow Scholar of the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM).

Mohd Nizam also created history as the first senior Malaysian Army officer to be selected to attend the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) Peace Support Operations Contingent Commander Course in Monterey, California, United States. Mohd Nizam also completed the Command and General Staff Course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, USA, and entered the Le Collège Interarmées de Défense in France.[6]

Military career

Mohd Nizam's career in the military field began as a platoon leader in the 19th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (Mechanized), where he took part in the Second Malayan Emergency, and afterwards served as aide de camp first to the deputy chief of the Army (1989 to 1990), and later to the Chief of the Defence Forces General Tun Tan Sri Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali (1990 to 1992). He also served as aide de camp to the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdul Halim of Kedah from 2011 to 2016.[7]

Mohd Nizam commanded various infantry units and later held a training management position, serving as the commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade based at Ipoh and subsequently as the director of training management at the Army Training and Doctrine Command Headquarters (MPLDTD) at Port Dickson. Afterwards, he served as MKN commander, Pusat Pengajian Pertahanan Nasional (PUSPAHANAS) at Putrajaya. Mohd Nizam was later appointed commander of the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) 2 based in Lebanon as part of the Malaysian contingent under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).[7] After his term in Lebanon, Mohd Nizam was later named as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel Services (AKS PA) at the Malaysian Armed Forces Headquarters, under the Member Services Division (MK ATM - BPA), and was later promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.

On 31 January 2025, Mohd Nizam was appointed the 23rd Chief of Defence Forces, succeeding General Mohammad Ab Rahman.[8] His appointment is a historic departure from tradition, as it saw the armed forces chief not selected from the current chiefs of the three branches, which is the army, navy, and air force. Following his appointment as the military's top leadership, he was promoted from Lieutenant-General to General.[8]

In January 2026, Mohd Nizam resigned as Chief of Defence Force following an investigation into alleged irregularities in several defence procurement deals. On 22 January, he was charged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission with abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in relation to the procurement scandal.[9]

Personal life

Mohd Nizam is married to Risia Sheikh Ali Omar Bajarai. They have one child.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Foreign honours

Notes

  1. ^ Serving no less than 18 years.
  2. ^ Serving no less than 10 years.

References

  1. ^ a b "Mohd Nizam dilantik sebagai Panglima ATM baharu". www.sinarharian.com.my.
  2. ^ "From Lieutenant-General to 23rd Armed Forces Chief". University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Mohd Nizam dilantik menjadi Panglima Angkatan Tentera ke-23". www.astroawani.com.
  4. ^ "Mohd Nizam dilantik Panglima Angkatan Tentera". www.hmetro.com.my.
  5. ^ "Datuk Mohd Nizam Jaffar dilantik sebagai Panglima Angkatan Tentera ke-23". berita.rtm.gov.my.
  6. ^ Reporters, F. M. T. (31 January 2025). "Nizam Jaffar is new armed forces chief". Free Malaysia Today | FMT.
  7. ^ a b "Mohd Nizam Jaffar takes helm as Malaysia's 23rd Chief of Defence Force". Malay Mail. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b Nizam, Fuad (31 January 2025). "Lieutenant-General Datuk Mohd Nizam Jaffar appointed 23rd armed forces chief". New Straits Times Online. New Straits Times. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Malaysia to charge 2 former generals in high-profile military corruption case". ABC News. Associated Press. 22 January 2026. Archived from the original on 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Peguam Negara Dahului Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Pingat Sempena Keputeraan Agong" (in Malay). Bernama. 2 June 2025.
  11. ^ Bernama (2 June 2025). "Attorney-general tops king's birthday honours list". Free Malaysia Today.
  12. ^ "Senarai Penerima Panglima Setia Diraja Tahun 2014" (PDF). www.istiadat.gov.my.
  13. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 2010" (PDF). www.istiadat.gov.my.
  14. ^ "Panglima ATM, TUDM Terima Darjah PGAT Pada Istiadat DKAT 2025" (in Malay). Bernama. 15 October 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Wilayah Persekutuan Tahun 2012" (PDF). www.istiadat.gov.my.
  16. ^ M Ifzuddin Ikhsan (22 June 2025). "Panglima Angkatan Tentera dahului senarai penerima darjah, bintang kebesaran Kedah" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  17. ^ Ahmad Mukhsein Mukhtar (22 June 2025). "Armed forces chief tops honours list at Sultan of Kedah's birthday". New Straits Times.
  18. ^ "Carian Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat". eservices.kedah.gov.my.
  19. ^ "SENARAI KEHORMATAN HARI KEPUTERAAN KEBAWAH DULI YANG MAHA MULIA TUANKU SULTAN NEGERI KEDAH DARUL AMAN TAHUN 2008" (PDF) (in Malay). Warta Kerajaan Negeri KEDAH.
  20. ^ "SENARAI KEHORMATAN HARI KEPUTERAAN KEBAWAH DULI YANG MAHA MULIA SULTAN NEGERI KEDAH DARUL AMAN TAHUN 2002" (PDF) (in Malay). Warta Kerajaan Negeri KEDAH.
  21. ^ Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah (29 September 2025). "Chief Secretary heads list of 803 receiving honours for Sultan of Kelantan's birthday". New Straits Times.
  22. ^ Bernama (24 August 2025). "Chief Justice leads Melaka Governor's birthday honours list". theSun. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  23. ^ Amir Mamat (24 August 2025). "Ketua Hakim Negara ketuai senarai penerima darjah kebesaran Melaka" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  24. ^ "SENARAI PENERIMA-PENERIMA DARJAH-DARJAH KEBESARAN DAN PINGAT-PINGAT NEGERI PAHANG DARUL MAKMUR BAGI TAHUN 2005" (PDF) (in Malay). Warta Kerajaan Negeri PAHANG.
  25. ^ Zahratulhayat Mat Arif (7 November 2025). "Chief Secretary to the govt leads Perak honours list for Sultan Nazrin's birthday". New Straits Times.
  26. ^ Muhammad Zulsyamini Sufian Suri (2025-11-07). "KSN dahului senarai 238 penerima Darjah Kebesaran dan Pingat Negeri Perak sempena Ulang Tahun Keputeraan Sultan Nazrin" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  27. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
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