Friendship and understanding between Australia and Malaysia has strengthened after ADF Chaplaincy members met with senior officers of the Malaysian Armed Forces Religious Directorate during Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2024 (IPE24).
Over two days, Chaplain Mogamat Majidih Essa and Chaplain Patrick Boyle met with their spiritual counterparts from the Malaysian Armed Forces to share experiences, exchange views and learn from one another.
The engagement included visits to the Armed Forces Religious Corps (KAGAT) Directorate and the Directorate of Islamic Development Malaysia. These visits included briefs from ADF Chaplaincy and members of the Malaysian Armed Forces, outlining their respective roles and ways of operating.
Chaplains Essa and Boyle then joined the Malaysian Armed Forces delegation for a meal at the Officers' Mess, with Chaplain Essa conducting the Zohor prayer alongside personnel from the Kor Agama Angkatan Tentera (Military Religious Corps) after lunch.
The engagement concluded with members of KAGAT and ADF Chaplaincy visiting Muzium Tentera Darat (Army Museum) in Port Dickson, further strengthening the interfaith dialogue between the two nations.
Lieutenant Colonel Mohd Izani, Head of Inspektorate R&D Cell, Malaysian Armed Forces, spoke of the importance of the exchange.
"I think we have common roles and functions. We are always talking and sharing ideas," Lieutenant Colonel Izani said.
"We look forward to more sharing and collaboration with the chaplaincy."
The faith-based engagement was just one of many activities from IPE24 held on Malaysian shores from October 1-11.
Other activities included a port visit by HMAS Sydney to Kota Kinabalu, international humanitarian law and maritime security workshops, a cyber operations forum and a friendly badminton competition in Kuala Lumpur.
As an Imam of the ADF Chaplaincy and Head of Delegation for the faith-based engagement, Chaplain Essa emphasised the strong bonds between the two nations.
"IPE24 has been a fantastic journey for us. Australia as a country has a long relationship with Malaysia that continues to go from strength-to-strength," Chaplain Essa said.
"We have had a wonderful experience learning about what KAGAT does, and having the chance to express what ADF chaplains do."
