KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today conferred the Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera (PGAT) award to Chief of Air Force General Tan Sri Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan.

Mohd Asghar headed the list of 284 award recipients at the first session of the investiture ceremony for military service (DKAT) 2022 held at the Balairung Seri (Throne Room), Istana Negara here.

At the ceremony, His Majesty also conferred the Darjah Panglima Setia Angkatan Tentera (PSAT) award to 12 recipients including two foreign military officers; Pahlawan Angkatan Tentera (PAT) to 34 recipients including one foreign military officer; Kesatria Angkatan Tentera (KAT) and Bentara Angkatan Tentera (BAT) to 118 recipients and 114 recipients respectively.

Foreign military officers who were awarded included recipients of the PGAT award namely Commander of the Indonesian National Army (TNI) General TNI Andika Perkasa; Chief of Defence Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces General Chalermphon Srisawasdi; Chief of General Staff of Saudi Arabia Armed Forces General Fayyad Hamed Al Ruwaili; Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Major General Dato Paduka Seri Muhammad Haszaimi Bol Hassan and the Commanding General of the Philippine Army Lieutenant General Romeo S Brawner Jr.

Two military officers from Saudi Arabia received the PSAT award namely Major General Fahad Saad Aljohani and Major General Pilot Ahmed Ali Al Dubais, while the PAT honorary recipient was Brigadier General Abdullah Khaled S Alyamini also from Saudi Arabia.

The DKAT awards were conferred to qualified officers and personnel of various ranks for their contributions and sacrifices in the service.

Also present were Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz, Chief of Defence Force General Tan Sri Affendi Buang and Ministry of Defence secretary-general Datuk Seri Muez Abd Aziz.

The second session of the investiture ceremony will take place this Thursday.

-- BERNAMA