HISTORY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF KAGAT

1. Religious service existed in the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) since the
establishment of the Royal Malay Regiment in 1933. Its establishment at the time came
under the Public Service Department and not the MAF. Since then the religious service
has expanded rapidly in line with the requirements and expansion of the organisations
in MAF.

2. This expansion accelerated the need for the establishment of a Corps to

undertake the responsibility of administering religious matters in the MAF. The first step
to realize this idea and intention was mooted in the 1979 by His Honourable Datuk
Petinggi Abdul Taib Mahmud in this capacity as the Defence Minister then. Finally in
1980 under the Premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, KAGAT was established on
24 June 1980 via the 197th Armed Forces Council meeting and this was in line with the
government’s policy to inculcate the Islamic values then. KAGAT was officially
established on 16 April 1985 in Kuala Lumpur and thus became the 16th Corps in the
Malaysian Army when it received the royal consent from the eighth Seri Paduka
Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong, Sultan Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail in this
capacity as the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces then. Its services
with a military concept cover the three services that are the Malaysian Army, the
Malaysian Navy and the Malaysian Air Force.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

3. To produce MAF personnel who are knowledgeable, religious, god-fearing and

steadfast to enhancing his/her spiritual and combat power.

OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES/RESPONSIBILITIES

4. The operational objectives/responsibilities of the KAGAT Directorate are as

follows:

a. Evaluate and research all religious policies and directives and ensure they
are adhered to at all MAF levels.

b. Coordinate and manage all administrative, financial, logistics and

infrastructural development matters.

c. Echance professionalism of KAGAT through efficient and effective policy

planning and organisational development.

d. Develop KAGAT human resource to be professional and excellent.

e. Provide Islamic law (Syariah) services to MAF personnel.

f. Provide Islamic education to develop spritiual and combat power of MAF

personnel.
 g. Facilitate MAF mosques and ‘surau’ as centres of spiritual development
and social services.

h. Provide religious services encompassing matters concerning MAF

personnel’s family, welfare and society.

DIRECTIONAL STATEMENT

5. Vision. Excel in the spiritual development of a MAF role model personnel.

6. Mission. Enhance MAF professional status via Islamic education and

religious services.