Malaysian Army Chief receives Royal Order of Sahametrei award

Prime Minister Hun Manet has conferred the Royal Order of Sahametrei – Grand Cross from Cambodia to Malaysian Army chief General Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan during a courtesy call on Tuesday.

The award was presented by Mr Hun Manet at the Peace Palace on Tuesday, said Malaysian Ambassador to Cambodia Shaharuddin Onn.

Ambassador Shaharuddin added that during their meeting, both parties discussed looking into a Terms of Reference (ToR) for the two armies to cooperate, among others in terms of exchange visits, capacity building, training, and joint exercises.

Gen Muhammad Hafizuddeain said yesterday that it was a great honour to be bestowed the royal order from the King of Cambodia.

“I feel deeply honoured and truly grateful to be the first Malaysian Chief of Army to receive this prestigious award. Being conferred such recognition by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, and having the honour of the award being bestowed through His Excellency Prime Minister Hun Manet himself, makes it all the more meaningful. It is a truly a historic moment that I will always treasure, and I consider it not just a personal achievement but also a significant symbol of the friendship between our nations,” he said.

He added that the award shows vital recognition of strong cooperation between the two countries.

“To me personally, this award signifies the recognition of our commitment to defend diplomacy and regional cooperation. For Malaysia, it reflects the strong and trusted relationship and friendship we share with Cambodia, particularly between our armies. It is a testament to our continued efforts in supporting peace, security, and collaboration within the ASEAN region. At the same time, it is an honour to me personally, to the Malaysian Army, the Malaysian Armed Forces, and Malaysia,” he added.

Gen Muhammad Hafizuddeain was on a five-day official visit from April 19 at the invitation of General Mao Sophan, the Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

On Monday, he paid a courtesy call on Minister of National Defence General Tea Seiha and General Vong Pisen, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. He also held bilateral talks with Gen Sophan.

“The bilateral relationship between the Malaysian Army and the Royal Cambodian Army continues to strengthen progressively. Although there are currently no joint exercises taking place, our recent bilateral meeting explored opportunities for future collaboration, including capacity-building, joint training programmes, and officer exchange initiatives,” Gen Muhammad Hafizuddeain said.

“We are also looking forward to the formalisation of our strategic military cooperation through the anticipated signing of key documents, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Terms of Reference (ToR), in the near future,” he added.