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• No problem with the budget. Really benefit-kan rakyat. With such amount of money for the armed forces so there'll be no major arms procurement for next year. Only yang small-small punye senjatalah....(let see what is the defense allocation in the real 10th Malaysian Plan pula nanti...)

• Dear PM!!! Apa sudah jadi?

  Every year we hear the same thing, ''provided to increase the efficiency of the security force, including providing modern and sophisticated equipment.''How long more will the government continue to gamble with our national security and neglect the men and women in uniform.

  We keep hearing about national development and the economy. The building of roads, bridges, etc. All in the name of development and the betterment of the 'rakyat'. But where is the hard cash needed to ensure the MAF has the means to defend our sovereignty? To protect 7,282km of coastline, protect the EEZ, ensure the Sraits of Melaka is secure, safeguard our claims in the Spratlys and ensure the sea access to East Malaysia remains secure, the RMAF has a fleet of just 4 short range MPAs.

• According to the MAF commander interview, even with the reduced there gonna be some major procurement deals at LIMA 2009. Checkout TEMPUR for October 2009. The Cougar and KS-1A M-SAM most probably gonna be part of it....and there still the matter with Inderapura replacement....

  Marhalim: The two deals are not confirmed yet. The only deal confirmed is the Kasturi SLEP and probably the submarine maintainance deal. Inderapura replacement will surely not be signed at this Lima, probably next Lima.....Oh yes they most probably signed the deal with SME for the local manufacture of the M4....I must add in the two interviews I had accessed to, in both the PAT said they still want the Cougars and they hope it will be finalised, no time frame was mentioned however.

• The RM1.9 billion is probably mostly to pay the 2 new launch NGPV, the maintenance contract for the subs, SLEP for kasturi and maybe urgent requirement for 24-36 new APCs for lebanon used.

  The MMEA 622 million would probably cover the 3 new AW139 and the 2 Amphibious plane plus may be new firearm.

  But polis and MMEA not really worryla. They are under KDN so less impact i foresee.

  In this situation as a arm chair general (:-)), I would probably settle for a smaller combatant unit but well equipped and well financed. I would rather leave the patrolling, monitoring and enforcement to the MMEA and police. While i would assign the military to what it should do best, combat and win conflict.

  Marhalim: Since Malaysia is at peace, every one is an arm chair general...........And if you are in the construction industry you gotta love getting a contract to build border guard posts, the amount of profit one can make for "transport charges" alone can get the recipient, a young, not-so-talented singer/actress as a second wife, with a Cayenne to boot!

• I doubt the KS-1A M-SAM will ever be ordered. Its just something that has been forced onto the MAF, who in turn will try their best to wiggle their way out off. All this talk about medium range SAMs when there's still no sight of the Starburst replacement. Just as importantly GAPU needs early warning systems in addition to the 2 TRS-3Ds and 3 Giraffes, for early warning and cueing of their MANPADS. What I like about devices like ADADs is they can be issued down to troop level rather than the radar who are further up the line and being passive won't be a target for anti-radiation missiles.

• According to the defense minister, the mod will find others way like trading something for arms or getting fund from private sector or others way that are mutual to both side. I do think that this is the same way to procure something new as the Sukhoi deal.

  Marhalim: I believe what he is saying is that they will go more funds through other means such as the proposal to use money from LTAT to fund procurement

• maybe we see new rotary bird in our air force inventory next year.

  Marhalim: If we go for 12 Cougars, it will suck up the whole Rm1.9 billion budget.....

• Well done PM. Some groups threatened to invade our country just early this month and the govt responded bravely by cutting the mod's budget. Little wonder no one is afraid to burn our flag these days. One might argue the threat is nothing more than hot air but who really knows how deep is the influence of this group in their country's military. Why take the chance?
  What if some pissed off nationalist in their navy decided to steal a boat with missiles on board and lob one over Lumut? Far fetched? Sorry but i'm a worst-kinda-scenario guy. But then again this is our beloved country. We build bridges, repair the roads, put more cops on the streets, only after someone dies.

  To me dedicated MPAs is a very crucial assets which we should've procure long time ago. Perhaps the RMAF should take our pampered politicians onboard the Beechcraft for a ride and ask them how to detect hostile submarines, intrusion in the EEZ, keeping the straits secure or spotting bendera's invading force using just the binoculars. That and the aircraft's own limited range. I guess they wont know..until they endure.

  Even Indonesia, neighbouring country which we perceived as backwards have decent MPA despite budget constraints because they realise just how important it is.

• If this is a re-post, apologies Marhalim. Having problems with my PC. For interesting footage of an MMEA Dauphin and special assault team, look at episodes 3 [1] and 3 [2] of ''Ross Kemp - In Search For Pirates'' on Youtube. He visits Malaysia in these episodes and goes on an MMEA Dauhpin and a anti-piracy drill.

  Wan,the TNI-AL has a very large fleet of ircraft, but few are really configured for dedicated MPA work except the 707s fitted with a Motorola SLAR radar and the few CN-235s with AMASCOS. The bulk are Nomads, which incidentally were witdrawn from Australian service due to safety reasons. And if you look closely, despite their very large coastline and archipelago, they have almost the same number of surface vessels as the RMN. Only the bulk of it is much older and less capable.

  We keep hearing about the rapid expansion of the PDRM. Have training standards dropped due to the influx of recruits? I believe it has and its very obvious when observing the very young newly inducted constables in their patrol cars.

  Marhalim: and recent shootings showed that they had slipped in gun training also...

• Marhalim,

  Cross reference with MoD's annual report in past years will show you that the allocation for MMEA will come directly from the PM's Department budget, and not from the Mindef. Please read the annual report from MoD or the annual accounting report (if u can get hold of it) and cross-check it with the amount given during the budget. This has been the case since the establishment of MMEA.

  Mindef will get RM 2.581 bil next year for its Development Expenditure.

  Marhalim: I know, but the MMEA allocation was taken from Najib speech. I trying to get the Defence Minister to say why only RM1.9 billion is allocated for arms purchase from the RM2.581 billion they got from the 2010 budget. Perhaps the rest are meant for infrastructure projects, but that doesnt jive with Najib speech who said that among the things that will be purchased with the RM1.9 billion will be the construction and upgrading of border posts....