Admiral Kamarulzaman devotes his life to the navy

AS an adventurous young man who wanted to see the world, it was no wonder that First Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin chose to join the Royal Malaysian Navy as soon as he graduated from the Royal Military College in 1977. 

Or else, his father Army Major (Rtd) Ahmad Badaruddin, could have had some influence in his son’s decision to join the armed forces. 

“Initially, it was all about having an adventure but later I realised that the navy offers so much opportunity to learn. The RMN is a learning organisation,” said Admiral Kamarulzaman, 46. 

First Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman ... 'the RMN is a learning organisation'

He has come a long way for one who started off as a cadet on board the KD Pelandok nearly 30 years ago. The KD Pelandok was then a naval training establishment based in Singapore. 

Admiral Kamarulzaman moved up the navy career ladder as he gained more experience and knowledge from the various courses he was sent to.  

He has since collected a Masters of Arts in Defence and Strategic Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and a Master of Business Administration from Strathclyde University, Scotland. He is also a graduate of the US Naval War College in Newport and Fu Hsing Kang College in China. 

The pinnacle of his career so far was when he assumed the post of Assistant Chief of Staff Plans, Strategy and Operations in August last year. 

The promotion puts him in charge of managing the RMN’s capability planning and policies on naval operations, including naval procurement and infrastructure development. He also looks at maritime strategic issues involving the RMN and is one of the stakeholders managing the RMN Strategic Plan.  

Admiral Kamarulzaman is also a qualified Surface Warfare Officer and a Principle Warfare Officer. 

“Warfare courses are part of naval specialisation training in the courses that I attended in the US and Britain during my younger days.  

“We were taught tactics and also strategies of maritime warfare in a multi-dimensional threat environment (above water and underwater warfare).  

“All these knowledge were put to use when I served as the Principal Warfare Officer on KD Kasturi and Commanding Officer of KD Jebat.  

“We participated in many exercises in the RMN and also with other navies through bilateral or multi-lateral exercises that were conducted several times a year. These exercises are part of the navy’s core business to ensure we maintain the highest state of readiness,’’ he said, adding that he was glad that he never had to put his warfare knowledge to use in real life.  

He also explained how the RMN provided visible deterrence by patrolling in areas of operation 24 hours seven days a week.  

“We are always out there no matter how bad the weather is and it is all part of our job to protect Malaysia’s sovereignty. Many do not realise that our presence at sea provides a sense of security to our fishermen, off-shore rig workers, Malaysian as well as foreign ships that ply our waters,’’ he said. 

Admiral Kamarulzaman is proud to have been the Commanding Officer (Captain) aboard the pride of the navy, KD Jebat in 2001.  

“My three P’s, which stand for Passion, Pride and Performance, worked out well for me and my crew. They are what counts to achieve synergy on a ship,” he said. 

He added that to him every crew member was important whether they were junior sailors, chefs, engineers, missile and weapon specialist or warfare directors.  

”Our end state is to deliver what we term as combat capability,” he said, adding that KD Jebat had 152 men on board with very expensive and state-of-the-art weapon systems.  

KD Jebat holds many sweet and unforgettable memories for Admiral Kamarulzaman. 

“I enjoy good food on board - my favourites are scones, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and satay.  

“When I was Captain of KD Jebat, we decided to develop several signature dishes. 

“Until now, it is famous for scones,’’ he said, adding that even at sea, one could get fresh oven baked bread and roti canai for breakfast, nasi hujan panas and curry for lunch, scones for tea and chicken chop for dinner.”  

He also said that chefs were the people who determined how happy a ship was. 

Admiral Kamarulzaman also said that generally navy personnel were IT-savvy as most equipment used on ships were computerised and sophisticated.  

He was surrounded by three computers on the day of this interview.  

Of the two desktops in his room, one is for general use while another is for secured and sensitive information. His notebook is what he calls his “mobile office”. 

“In the navy, safety is paramount and that is why our people need to be trained so well,’’ he said, adding that they were taught to anticipate situations.  

Admiral Kamarulzaman said lots of training were conducted at sea daily and many preparations and checks had to be carried out even before a ship sailed out to sea. 

“The navy is known for its good maintenance culture and this not only includes a well-kept and clean ship but also well maintained systems on board. 

“It is the ultimate responsibility of any captain to ensure that his crew and systems work as one,”he said. 

He added that the teamwork shown by a ship’s crew was akin to an orchestra as the best performance could only be achieved if every player was focused and performed his role with maximum dedication. 

Admiral Kamarulzaman also appreciates the navy because of the challenges it provides.  

“We carry lots of fuel, ammunition, explosives and many people on board.  

“Even though we are always in harm’s way, when we are out at sea, our training provides us with the confidence in managing risks.  

“In the navy, safety is paramount and that is why our people need to be well-trained.’’  

And he stresses that the RMN is not what the public think of navies in general. 

“In the past the perception was that sailors painted the town red and had wives in every port. But this is not generally true for RMN sailors.  

“We are a disciplined lot and our ships are ‘dry’ meaning that alcohol is banned on board,” he said, adding that RMN personnel were well respected abroad for their clean image and immaculate looking ships. 

Admiral Kamarulzaman is also chief editor of the Navy’s magazine Samudera, which is published four times a year. 

He is married to Noor Azrina and they have a 15-year-old son Nazrin. 

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