Military badges of Malaysia are official awards authorised by the Malaysian Armed Forces. These badges signify a service member's qualification (), trade (), expertise (), or specific skills (). They also serve as identification for personnel holding certain appointments or those who have achieved significant accomplishments.
Badges are typically worn on the left breast of the uniform, though they may be shifted to the right side if a service member has earned a large number of awards. For Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) personnel, the area above the left breast pocket is strictly reserved for RMAF-specific trade badges. These badges are worn alongside Malaysian orders, decorations, and medals on specific numbered uniforms.
In the Malaysian context, the Malaysian Army badges often serve as the standard for the entire MAF and are shared across other branches. This occurs because the Army is the largest branch of the MAF and maintains the most comprehensive training facilities. Most courses offered by the Army are open to personnel from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), the RMAF, and even various government agencies. Despite this general standardisation, the RMN and RMAF maintain a few of their own branch-specific badges that reflect their unique operational environments.
Some of the military badges in Malaysia are organised into a hierarchy of tiers. This ranking is crucial as it determines the specific vertical and horizontal location of the badge on the personnel uniform.
The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) utilise a hierarchical system for the display of skill badges on military uniforms. These badges are divided into three distinct groups, each with specific regulations regarding seniority, placement, and the maximum number of insignia permitted.
Group 1 badges represent the highest level of technical and operational qualification within MAF. These insignia are subject to a specific order of precedence that dictates their placement on the service uniform. While the badges themselves are standardised across the forces, the regulations regarding their display vary between the different branches of the service.
For personnel who have earned multiple qualifications within this category, regulations permit the display of only the two most senior badges at any given time.
Within the Royal Malaysian Navy, many of these qualifications are officially designated as insignia rather than badges. This terminology reflects the significant influence of United States Navy traditions on RMN uniform regulations.
The following list outlines the seniority of Group 1 primary qualification badges, arranged from highest to lowest:
Group 2 badges are subject to seniority regulations and are worn at the centre of the breast pocket. Personnel are permitted to display only one badge from this category at any given time. In cases where an individual holds multiple Group 2 qualifications, the most senior badge must take priority.
Group 3 badges do not have a specific internal order of seniority. These insignia are worn on the breast pocket according to a standard format: three badges may be displayed on the pocket flap, while two are placed at the centre of the pocket.
If a Group 2 badge is being worn, it takes precedence at the centre of the breast pocket. If space on the left pocket is insufficient, badges may be moved to the right side of the uniform. A maximum of ten badges, including any Group 2 insignia, may be worn on the uniform simultaneously.
Group 3 badges include:
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) maintains a unique system of branch-specific insignia in addition to standard Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) skill badges. The RMN also utilises specific badges to identify leadership appointments. Notably, within the RMN, the Surface Warfare Officer Insignia is considered senior to the Aircrew Flying Badge. Like the broader MAF system, these are organised into distinct tiers based on seniority and placement regulations.
Unique to the RMN, this group is inspired by the United States Navy Command Insignia. These marks serve to identify officers and senior other ranks who hold or have held significant leadership appointments. The regulations for wearing command insignia depend on whether the individual is currently serving in an active command appointment or has completed their tenure. For personnel currently holding active command appointments, the insignia is worn on the left side of the uniform, positioned directly above the personnel name tag. For personnel who are no longer serving in active command roles but have previously held such appointments, the insignia is moved to the right breast pocket.
Command insignia include:
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) maintains a specific system of branch insignia that operates alongside the standard Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) skill badges. Heavily influenced by the United States Air Force (USAF), the RMAF issues Occupational Badges, locally referred to as Trade Badges (), to its personnel.
In a departure from the practices of other Malaysian military branches, these trade badges are considered the most senior insignia within the RMAF. They are given priority in placement and are worn above the left breast pocket, superior to any Malaysian orders, decorations, or medals.
The Air Force Trade Badges, also known as Branch Badges (), signify the core qualification and professional trade of RMAF personnel. There are currently six main categories of trade badges, organised by seniority from highest to lowest. Personnel are permitted to wear only one trade badge at a time, regardless of how many qualifications they may hold.
The order of seniority for RMAF trade badges is as follows: