Laksamana Madya Dato Aris Tan

Laksamana Dato’ Aris Adi Tan bin Abdullah is a retired Vice Admiral of the Royal Malaysian Navy, born on 20 May 1961, who served for 42 years and rose to become Commander of the Western Fleet and later the founding Commander of the National Task Force (NTF) during the COVID‑19 pandemic. He is widely respected as a veteran leader in Malaysia’s naval and defence community. Dato Aris is remembered as a strategic naval leader and veteran who modernised training, strengthened border security during crises, and mentored generations of officers. His tenure as NTF Commander during Op Benteng is especially noted for tightening Malaysia’s border control and reducing illegal entries during the pandemic.