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.
| Minister of Defence | |
|---|---|
| Menteri Pertahanan | |
 | |
.jpg) | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Style | Yang Berhormat Menteri (The Honourable Minister) |
| Abbreviation | KEMENTAH/MINDEF/MOD |
| Member of | Cabinet of Malaysia |
| Reports to | Parliament of Malaysia |
| Seat | Kuala Lumpur |
| Appointer | Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Malaysia |
| Formation | 31 August 1957 |
| First holder | Abdul Razak Hussein |
| Deputy | Adly Zahari |
| Website | www |
List of ministers of defence
editThe following individuals have been appointed as Minister of Defence, or any of its precedent titles:
Political party: Alliance/BN PH
| Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) Constituency |
Political party | Title | Took office | Left office | Deputy Minister | Prime Minister (Cabinet) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
|
Abdul Razak Hussein (1922–1976) (Deputy Prime Minister) MP for Pekan |
Alliance (UMNO) | Minister of Defence | 31 August 1957 | 22 September 1970 | Vacant | 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 | 1974 | Dzulkifli Abdul Hamid | Abdul Razak Hussein (II) | ||
|
|
Abdul Razak Hussein (1922–1976) (Prime Minister) MP for Pekan |
BN (UMNO) | 1974 | 1976 | Mokhtar Hashim | Abdul Razak Hussein (II) | ||
.jpg)
|
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 1981 | Abu Hassan Omar | Hussein Onn (II) | ||
|
Mahathir Mohamad (b. 1925) (Prime Minister) MP for Kubang Pasu |
17 July 1981 | 6 May 1986 | Abang Abu Bakar | Mahathir Mohamad (I • II) | |||
|
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (b. 1939) 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 1995 | Wan Abu Bakar Wan Mohamed | Mahathir Mohamad (IV) | |||
|
Syed Hamid Albar (b. 1944) MP for Kota Tinggi |
8 May 1995 | 14 December 1999 | Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan | Mahathir Mohamad (V) | |||
|
|
Najib Razak (b. 1953) (Deputy Prime Minister) MP for Pekan |
15 December 1999 | 18 March 2008 | Shafie Apdal (1999–2004) Zainal Abidin Zin (2004–2008) |
Mahathir Mohamad (VI) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (I • II) | |||
|
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (b. 1939) (Prime Minister) MP for Kepala Batas |
19 March 2008 | 9 April 2009 | Abu Seman Yusop | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (III) | |||
|
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (b. 1953) MP for Bagan Datok |
10 April 2009 | 15 May 2013 | Abdul Latiff Ahmad | Najib Razak (I) | |||
|
Hishammuddin Hussein (b.1961) MP for Sembrong |
16 May 2013 | 9 May 2018 | Abdul Rahim Bakri (2013–2015) Mohd Johari Baharum (2015–2018) |
Najib Razak (II) | |||
.jpg)
|
Mohamad Sabu (b.1954) MP for Kota Raja |
PH (AMANAH) | 21 May 2018 | 24 February 2020 | Liew Chin Tong | Mahathir Mohamad (VII) | ||
.jpg)
|
Ismail Sabri Yaakob (b. 1960) (Senior Minister) (Deputy Prime Minister) MP for Bera |
BN (UMNO) | Senior Minister of Defence | 10 March 2020 | 7 July 2021 | Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz | Muhyiddin Yassin (I) | |
| Minister of Defence | 7 July 2021 | 16 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 2023 | Adly Zahari | Anwar Ibrahim (I) | ||
|
|
Mohamed Khaled Nordin (b. 1958) MP for Kota Tinggi |
12 December 2023 | Incumbent | |||||