Malaysia replacing all military 4WDs BANGKOK, March 5 (UPI) -- All the Malaysian military four-wheeled drive vehicles are scheduled for replacement under a new military purchase program, the government said. "The existing 4x4 (vehicles) used by the three services are obsolete and no longer cost-effective to maintain," Malaysian Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in a report from the Bernama news agency. Zahid was speaking in Bangkok after meeting with Thai Defense Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat. They were taking part in the Defense and Security 2012 conference, hosted by the Thailand's inter-service Asian Defense and Internal Security Meeting for Land, Sea and Air. Zahid said the new Malaysian 4WD program would include components, including spare parts, manufactured by Malaysia's Westar defense firm. Westar has already provided military equipment to the United States, Singapore, Thailand and a number of NATO members. Beyond military equipment, Westar is involved in aviation services, automobiles and construction.