MILITARY GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

“Military Operation Other Than War (MOOTW)”

Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW) refers to operations in two states of

military conflict that are peaceful and conflicting. The primary objectives of MOOTW are to

prevent war, resolve conflicts, promote stability and assist civilian agencies in responding to

domestic crises. MOOTW can be held locally and abroad. There are two types of MOOTW

which are combat and non-combat operations. The guiding principles for running a MOOTW

consist of objectives, unity of effort, safety, restraint, persistence and legitimacy. There are

several factors that influence MOOTW namely technology, media, cooperation between

agencies and public enforcement and police. MOOTW case studies in terms of peacekeeping

operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations as well as domestic and civil support

operations will be discussed below.

The Fourth Aspect of the Second Direction in the " Perintah Ulung Panglima Tentera

Darat ke-24", MOOTW which states that in addition to using combat power for war-oriented

operations, the Malaysian Army (MA) should focus on MOOTW (Malaysian Army, 2011).

MOOTW itself focuses on preventing war, resolving conflicts, improving stability and

assisting public agencies in dealing with domestic crises. The important role of the military

fitself is to protect national interests and defend national sovereignty from enemy attacks while

the second role is to implement MOOTW, assist civil authorities in enforcement and support

global peace efforts through the UN. MA's involvement in the United Nations (UN)

peacekeeping mission and the implementation of the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS)

program with various Government agencies have proven MA's involvement in MOOTW. The

combination of cooperation between the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the Royal

Malaysian Police (RMP) on security is also not a new issue but it was actually highlighted
through the NBOS initiative in 2011 (Salleh, 2020). The main purpose of the NBOS

collaboration is to meet the government's needs in the National Key Achievement Area

(NKRA) which aims to reduce the crime rate which ultimately makes the objective of

reconciliation in Malaysia a reality. Although NBOS has been criticized by the opposition, the

unwitting cooperation of police and military patrols is one of the successful mechanisms in the

authorities' efforts to curb possible terrorist threats. Various MOOTW operations can provide

military assistance to civilian authorities in counterinsurgency operations. MOOTW can be

held locally and abroad. There are two types of MOOTW which are combat and non-combat

(Brigadier General Badrul Hisham Muhammad, 2017). Combat MOOTW includes

peacekeeping operations, Peace Enforcement Operations (PEO), counter-terrorism operations,

border security operations, counter-narcotics operations and operations in support of

insurgencies while non-combat MOOTWs include humanitarian and disaster relief operations

and domestic and civil support operations. operations will be far and wide and may provide

military assistance to civil authorities in counterinsurgency operations. MOOTW can be held

locally and abroad.

The guiding principles for running a MOOTW consist of objectives, unity of effort,

safety, restraint, diligence and validity (Danne, 2002). The first guiding principle which is the

objective in which the objective of all military operations must be accurately determined based

on (Brigadier General Badrul Hisham Muhammad, 2017). Unity of effort means operations

must be focused on achieving objectives while peace means letting hostile factions gain

military, political, or informational advantages is never a good idea. The fourth principle is

restraint where judicious use of force is required, with particular attention to balancing security,

operational performance, and political objectives. Fifth, persistence enables the deployment of

military resources in support of strategic objectives to be seen and the final guiding principle

for conducting MOOTW is legitimacy where the legitimacy of operations and governments
must be defended with commitment. Legitimacy in MOOTW refers to the condition based on

the audience's expectations of legitimacy, propriety or truth.

Based on (Brigadier General Badrul Hisham Muhammad, 2017) also, there are several

factors that affect MOOTW. Technology plays an important role can be one of the important

factors influencing MOOTW. The availability of modern technology in the military field can

increase the ability of military systems to perform any operation including MOOTW. Media

also has an important role influencing MOOTW. This factor has a large influence on public

opinion, which can have a large impact on MOOTW behavior. Therefore, peacekeeping

operations must bind community relations in a new way. Military awareness initiatives,

security intelligence, and political communications play a role in every military activity where

military information is sought to be shared well to influence public opinion. Recalling the first

and second guiding principles for conducting MOOTW, objectives and unity of effort,

cooperation between the military and civilians is clearly needed both military and civilian,

directed to achieve mission objectives. This shows that cooperation between agencies and the

public has become one of the factors influencing MOOTW. This is especially true of non-

combat MOOTWs, which take place outside of military jurisdiction.

Police enforcement also influenced MOOTW but the role of the police was radically

different from that of the military. In certain situations, especially in legal matters, the police

will be more accurate. Using the military for police work would be a crime unless there was a

situation so dire that the police could not be deployed. Proper planning and training can help

mitigate the problem, but they cannot solve the underlying problem of public perception of the

armed forces' abuse of power. To ensure proper inter-agency coordination, the concept of unity

of effort must be expanded to ensure that the military and police support each other in action.

In conclusion, it is reasonable to conclude that there are times when non-military entities will

conduct non-combatant MOOTWs, but that in most cases these other agencies must cooperate
with the armed forces. For operations conducted in an international and potentially hostile

environment, the armed forces may be more appropriate as a primary instrument or in a

secondary position defending civil defense forces. Whatever the case may be, it is safe to

assume that the armed forces will continue to be the nation's primary tool for conducting

MOOTWs, especially international combat type MOOTWs.

The conflict between the concepts of war and MOOTW is the most critical challenge

for the development of peacekeeping operations strategy. Terrorism, illegal immigrants,

maritime piracy, illegal cross-border operations, and the Covid-19 pandemic are just some of

the non-traditional threats that still surround and endanger Malaysia's stability (Mohamed et

al., 2020). Malaysia is a country that recently gained independence about 60 years ago but is

still not immune to various threats, including threats from within the country, such as the threat

of communist insurgency during the rebellion, ethnic conflicts, political instability, racial riots,

and unity problems. External threats such as borders, great power competition between the US

and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, which caused political instability, conflict and war

in the Southeast Asian region, ideological competition, tension in relations and conflicts

between countries, the threat of terrorism and rebellion, etc. have influenced and forcing

Malaysia to develop and modernize the country's defense system to ensure the success of

reconciliation objectives. The Security and Development Program, better known as KESBAN

was introduced in the 70s. The development of the KESBAN program is used as one of the

comprehensive strategies to face the threat of the Communist Party of Malaya (PKM) in this

country. The development of KESBAN is a collaboration between the civilian community and

the military to work together in curbing the threat of the PKM and proved successful with the

surrender of the PKM in 1989.

 As discussed above, the cooperation between the civilian and the military makes the

goal of MOOTW easier to achieve. Important issues such as terrorism and global militarism

became the main agenda in efforts to drive MAF. Defense cooperation and bilateral relations

should also always be implemented to ensure that Malaysia remains relevant in maintaining

national and regional security. Malaysia's involvement at the international level also makes the

country friendly with other big countries. Malaysia has continued its involvement in

peacekeeping missions under the UN after the country has not been involved in international

missions since the first time when Malaysia sent military aid to the Republic of Congo in 1971.

However, in 1990 the peacekeeping mission was expanded and enlarged by introducing the

Malaysian Battalion Unit which is MALBAT I and MALBAT II used to be peacekeepers for

both countries which were in turmoil at that time. The first is that ATM has received a mandate

from the UN to be a peacekeeper in Bosnia Herzegovina and currently he is with the MA to

participate in the mission.

The second is the peacekeeping mission in Somalia which has opened the eyes of the

world regarding credibility. Malaysian forces during the battle at Bukhara Market in

Mogadishu who have given recognition to MAF for successfully rescuing peacekeepers from

the United States. In addition, the country's efforts in peacekeeping missions are seen to have

complemented proactive foreign policy in dealing with global problems. The country also

gained valuable and beneficial experience gained by MAF personnel through MAF's

involvement in UN peacekeeping operations. The advantage can be seen in terms of training

due to the role of conducting operations in a diverse environment with teams from other

countries. Meanwhile, Malaysia is listed in the highest place in terms of the contribution of

MAF members in UN peacekeeping operations. Even as a small country, Malaysia's

involvement in the UN peacekeeping effort is a big task. As a modest country with limited

economic and military capabilities, Malaysia cannot influence certain regional and global
issues. However, the country's participation in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and disaster

operations through the UN has given the impression that Malaysia is committed to global

peace. The services and sacrifices of military personnel are often forgotten even though they

are insurance for the country. Malaysia cannot influence certain regional and global issues.

However, the country's participation in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and disaster operations

through the UN has given the impression that Malaysia is committed to global peace. The

services and sacrifices of military personnel are often forgotten even though they are insurance

for the country. Malaysia cannot influence certain regional and global issues. However, the

country's participation in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and disaster operations through the

UN has given the impression that Malaysia is committed to global peace. The services and

sacrifices of military personnel are often forgotten even though they are insurance for the

country.

Non-combatant MOOTW refers to non-traditional security threats and issues related to

the confrontation of armed forces against international communities, states and governments

in safeguarding and implementing national interests and needs. In addition to fighting

MOOTW, this type of MOOTW emphasizes humanitarian aid, natural disaster and disease

management in the need for national stability in addition to threats from political and

governance issues. They aim to reduce the consequences of natural or man-made hazards, such

as building collapses, storms, and earthquakes. When such activities are carried out in

international territories, the activities become very complicated and require a lot of inter-

agency coordination. Military involvement is essential in search and rescue, health and medical

efforts; and support that requires management and energy to manage threats systematically. In

humanitarian aid and assistance, search and rescue teams are highlighted as the first service

teams to perform during disasters. As in the case of the natural disaster in Malaysia, the search

and rescue crew that arrived must find and move the flood victims to a safe location in the
middle. All participants have accepted that search and rescue missions are essential. To avoid

problems in dealing with emergencies properly, both participants concluded that search and

rescue operations during crises should be strengthened (Mohd et al., 2018). The following

departments join search and rescue teams such as the Special Malaysian Disaster Relief and

Rescue Team (SMART), Fire and Rescue Department, Royal Malaysian Police, MAF, Civil

Defense Department, Ministry of Health and other agencies.

In addition to search and rescue teams, the MAF also plays a role in health and medicine

during disasters such as humanitarian aid. They successfully assist emergency treatment,

forensic services and public health to disaster victims who can receive emergency attention at

evacuation centers (Mohd et al., 2018). The support of military forces to humanitarian aid is

also one of the important service forces required in coordinating the provision of humanitarian

aid with logistics so that operations run smoothly. Therefore, effective support and

management of manpower and manpower is required to achieve smooth operation and help the

victims. A large amount of infrastructure construction and human resources have been put in

place to reduce and mitigate land loss, the number of deaths, and trauma caused by floods.

Based on the previous major flooding event in the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami,

military forces were deployed urgently to move in the flooded area to deliver a large amount

of medical supplies and aid to the victims after most of the land bordering the Indian Ocean

was attacked by strong waves and currents. Military forces including medical teams, combat

engineers, liaisons, doctors and nurses were immediately assigned to assist and manage the

current emergency situation. In addition, Malaysia also showed humanitarian assistance with

the involvement of the military during the recent flood disaster in Pahang and Kelantan to help

and provide needs in medical and relief supplies, transportation (helicopters, vehicles and off-

road vessels) and technical search and rescue. These benefits and services in response to each
disaster require special qualifications, skills and expertise with the latest technology of various

equipment to provide better assistance.

Apart from security, the infectious disease known as the Coronavirus disease (Covid -

19) in 2019 around the world went beyond security rhetoric and deepened institutionalization

to deal with complex reductions and strengthen more adequate initiatives. The military's

involvement in movement control against Covid-19 infection has been done to control the rate

of infection and transmission after it was announced as a high percentage of deaths in the

pandemic disease. Strict enforcement by military forces with the establishment of roadblocks

throughout the country is strictly enforced. Quarantine places and infected areas are monitored

and handled progressively by the involvement of military forces to maximize and increase

stricter enforcement (Tang, 2020). During an epidemic, a government that has sufficient and

reliable information that is accurate will gain the trust of the public. A government that has

unclear guidelines opens the door to corruption and instills mistrust and panic in the public.

In general, the government wants to show their good and consistent governance by

showing that the government acts and is committed to the problems faced. However, if

manipulated incorrectly, it can harm people and cause them to engage in unwanted activities.

When confirmed cases of COVID-19 were first reported in the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN), for example, many people reacted with panic buying. This is the case in

several countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Malaysia, Singapore, and

Indonesia are among the affected countries. The President of the Philippines was flanked by

high-ranking military and police officers as he briefed the media for the first time, giving the

impression that the government is 'staking' its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. People's

expectations and feelings must be carefully addressed. Building and maintaining community

trust is needed to increase compliance with government directives such as wearing face masks

in public. Public confidence is shaped and influenced by narratives and marketing. Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam of Vietnam

have set the right example for all the people.

There are various support operations for state civil authorities, usually in addition to

civil authorities or departments, but in some cases the armed forces can take the lead. The loss

of Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 on May 8, 2014, was not just a question mark in

technology; this also reveals many deficiencies in the existing technical, regulatory, and

operational systems of international civil aviation. Air traffic networks, including safety-

critical communications links, are not as global and seamless as widely assumed. The

disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 violated search and rescue rules, putting

pressure on international cooperation at all levels, from diplomatic to operational. The

challenges of search and rescue, accident investigation, civil-military coordination, and also

the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) are all discussed to

investigate the cause of the disappearance (Kaiser, 2014). The MAF and military forces from

other countries work together to conduct search and rescue teams. The search is carried out

with the help of high-tech equipment from various countries to find the missing aircraft and all

available clues.

Participation in MOOTW by joint military forces from various countries is limited. In

developing countries, the need for MOOTW is becoming increasingly clear, especially in

humanitarian aid and non-traditional security operations such as peacekeeping, natural disaster

relief, anti-piracy missions and others. Furthermore, reference sources must be made to gain

an understanding of these operations and to learn the various operations included in this

category. There are many ways to reveal military capabilities and provide the necessary

expertise for these operations to nations to enhance long-term security competition, especially

where power escalation is involved. Therefore, MOOTW participation should be increased

over time to maintain military capabilities in non-traditional security operations.

 Currently, there is no consensus on what new military force model should be used to

efficiently conduct MOOTW. However, there are recommendations given based on the

effective operation of MOOTW including increasing the amount of large strategy

customization. Before it can be optimized, MOOTW requires new equipment and training that

includes a balance to build capabilities that enable peace-to-peace-to-war continuity as the

teaching problems are very important. In addition, better inventory and asset management

systems are required to guarantee that supplies like food, shelter, and medical equipment can

be properly mobilised and monitored throughout operations. Besides, to ensure that the armed

forces will transition from peace to war and back to peaceful activities, military leaders must

develop or change current doctrine towards the improvement of its effectiveness and efficiency

of MAF’s activities in MOOTW. Resources and priorities are guaranteed to be in line with

larger national objectives through the establishment of such doctrine and strategies that

combine MOOTW with plans for national security and defence.

(3,016 words)

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