Zulkifli Zainal Abidin

He was born in Kuala Sepetang, Perak, Malaysia on November 30, 1958.[1]

He was commissioned in the Royal Malay Regiment as a Second Lieutenant in 1978, and ever since, held various commands in the Army and Armed Forces, including as the Senior Staff Officer to the Chief of Defence Force in 2001, and Vice Chancellor of the National Defence University of Malaysia from September 2008 to May 2010.

He also attended various courses such as the Senior Development Programme at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, holds a Master in Management from the Asian Institute of Management at Makati, Philippines, obtained an Advanced Diploma in Business and Management (Distinction) from Swansea University, University of Wales, and a diploma from the Royal College of Defence Studies (Imperial Defence College) in London. He is also an Adjunct Professor to the Centre of Business Innovation and Technopreneurship, in the Universiti Malaysia Perlis since 2010, and appointed as Professor (Profesor Ikhtisas) by the National Defence University of Malaysia in 2017.

He was involved in the Communist insurgency, and served as a senior instructor at the Army Training Group and Senior Instructor at the New Zealand Army Infantry school of the New Zealand Army from 1986 to 1988, training the New Zealand Army and other Commonwealth armies in training weapons, tactics and counter insurgency warfare. He was also the Commandant of the Army Recruit Training Centre from 2002 to 2004, and was appointed as the Chief of the Malaysian Army from June 2011 to June 2013.

His interests include reading about Management (Defence, Training and Human Resources Management), Defence and Security Studies (Total Defence, Counter Insurgency and Terrorism), Leadership and Development subjects, as well as taking care of orchards, fishing and hunting.

He is married to Puan Sri Datin Seri Hajjah Rusnah binti Haji A. Rahman, and have four children, two sons and two daughters.[2]

• The Most Gallant Order of Military Service with the ranks of Courageous Commander (Darjah Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera/PGAT) and Warrior (Pahlawan Angkatan Tentera/PAT)
• Order of the Defender of the Realm (Commander/Panglima Mangku Negara/PMN)
• Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (Commander/Panglima Setia Mahkota/PSM)
• Order of Meritorious Service
• Malaysian Service Medal
• General Service Medal
• Honorary Airborne Wings - From The Royal Thai Army