Malaysia posts English-language military video coincidentally during Singapore's NDP; Shanmugam notices

In case you missed it, Singapore celebrated the nation's 56th birthday last Saturday (Aug 21) with a belated bash at the floating platform in Marina Bay, featuring the usual fanfare — fireworks, the Red Lions and displays from the Singapore Armed Forces.

Across the Causeway, Malaysia was also highlighting its own military with a display of their own.

The English-language video, uploaded on the official Malaysian Army Facebook page on Saturday evening, features a dramatic soundtrack and montage of various training activities, as well as a rousing speech by a commander before a para troop exercise to "secure two crossing sites".

Speaking of a "tough, stubborn enemy", the commander declared as he brandished a pointer: "Nothing will stop the Third Combined Armed Division to punch through direct into the heart of enemy centre of gravity [sic]."

While the two crossing sites seem fictitious in the video, that didn't stop netizens and blogger Lee Kin Mun, better known as mrbrown, from making some guesses.

The video even attracted the attention of Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam, who reshared it on his Facebook account the next evening.

"Interestingly, the Commander speaks in English, and there are English subtitles," Shanmugam noted. "The video doesn't show much by way of tech or platforms or tactics. Instead the focus seems to be on what the Commander says the Malaysian Army will do to the enemy."

kimberlylim@asiaone.com