Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief Affendi Buang has been appointed as the 21st chief of Defence Force effective today.

The appointment of Affendi was witnessed by Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu in a hand-over ceremony for the number one Defence Force post at Wisma Pertahanan here today.

Affendi replaced Zulkifli Zainal Abidin who went on compulsory retirement today.

Zulkifli, 61, who was born in Port Weld (now known as Kuala Sepetang), Perak began his service with MAF on Jan 30 1978 with the Royal Malay Regiment.

He was appointed as 20th Defence Force chief on June 20 2018 to take over from Gen Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor who went on compulsory retirement.

Affendi, 57, had served as RMAF chief since Dec 21 2016.

Since 2011, the Defence Force chief post had been filled by the top officer of the Malaysian Army. The last time an RMAF chief took the Defence Force chief post was in 2009 via Azizan Ariffin while in 2005 the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief was appointed to head the Defence Force through Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor.

Also present at the ceremony was the Chief Secretary to the Government, Mohd Zuki Ali, Army chief Ahmad Hasbullah Mohd Nawawi and RMN chief Mohd Reza Mohd Sany.

Affendi who was born on Aug 21, 1962 in Kuching, Sarawak was the second air force chief to be made Defence Force chief after Azizan Ariffin.

He received his early education in his home state before furthering his studies at the Royal Military College in Sungai Besi until he obtained his Malaysian Certificate of Examination (MCE) in 1979.

After that, Affendi joined the Armed Forces as RMAF cadet officer in 1980 and received his basic training at the Cadet Officer School in Sebatang Kara, Port Dickson followed by Basic Flying Training at Alor Setar RMAF before he was commissioned as RMAF Second Lieutenant in 1982.

Armed with knowledge, skills and bravery, he was later assigned to No 3 Flying Training Centre in RMAF Kuantan to change basic fighter jet training using MB-339A aircraft.

It was the starting point of his career as a fighter jet pilot and he progressed to operation training using McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk in No 9 Squadron in October 1984 followed by his first operation using the aircraft in No 6 Squadron in June 1985.

- Bernama