SHAH ALAM: The Dewan Rakyat on March 3 approved the Supplementary Supply (2024) Bill 2025. This bill authorises additional expenditure for services in 2024, amounting to no more than RM20,191,299.50 from the Consolidated Fund.

Finance Minister II, Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, presented the bill, which was passed through a majority voice vote following debates by both government and opposition Members of Parliament. The bulk of the allocations are for operational expenditure, which are for the the Treasury’s General Services amounting to RM12,624,721,830, allocations to the Statutory Fund (RM3,151,419,300), Education Ministry (RM1,763,672,170), the Public Services Department (RM1,148,146,080), and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (RM1,077,146,050).

The allocations also include the Higher Education Ministry (RM417,999,870) and the Election Commission (RM8,194,200). Also approved was supplementary funding for development expenditures amounting to RM RM2,308,070,450.

As for the Development Expenditure, the bulk of the supplementary funding are for the Finance Ministry (RM1,860,270,300); RM407,800,000 million for the Defence Ministry and RM40,000,000 for the Prime Minister’s Department. The money for the allocation has been used using funds under the Consolidated Funds so the approval was just a mere formality.

Anhow, according to the budget document, the extra allocation for the Defence Ministry was for the maintenance of aircraft and radars of the RMAF. As usual it did not give a detailed breakdown of the allocation. And usual the MPs during the debate did not really press the deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari to give a detail breakdown of the funding or the justifications. They instead play to the galleries, pontificating about the leasing contract for the helicopters and other things. One even suggested that an airbase is built on Beting Patinggi Ali. I understand that they need to put out their messages across to the public, but it is also pertinent to seek out details especially when it comes to budget allocation.

Thankfully, in his reply, Adly gave some details about the extra allocation. He confirmed that the RM407.8 million extra allocation was for the maintenance of aircraft and radars but also payments for the procurement of the 18 Korean Aerospace Industries KAI FA-50M FLIT/LCA. He did not give a breakdown of the payments though.

In explaining the need for extra allocation for maintenance, Adly revealed that ministry has obligations for 52 maintenance contracts for aircraft and radars are worth RM1.4 billion annually but the ceiling for funding was RM800 million. Hence the need for the extra allocation.

He said the extra allocation was needed for the A400M fleet in 2024, which had brake problems leading to issues with the hydraulic system and tyres, as well. This was also the same for the FA-18D Hornets fleet when cracks were found the aircraft and components.

I believed the cap for the annual maintenance allocation (RM800 million) is likely one of the reasons that the government approved the leasing programme with Weststar Aviation Services Sdn Bhd. Again this is just an excuse. As they had approved the extra allocation to make up the difference, the government also has the power to increase the budget for the Defence Ministry to cover maintenance.

The relevant part of the debate on March 3 via the Hansard:

Seperti mana kita tahu bahawa bajet tambahan kita ini yang berjumlah
RM407,000,800 adalah terkait dengan dua perkara. Pertama, terkait dengan senggaraan
pesawat dan juga radar. Kedua, terkait dengan pembayaran perolehan Fighter Lead-in
Trainer ataupun kita sebut Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) fasa yang pertama.
Jadi kita seperti mana yang kita tahu, seperti mana yang disebut juga oleh Yang
Berhormat Tanah Merah tentang bajet kita di mana keperluan bajet di Kementerian
Pertahanan itu melalui penyelenggaraan sama ada radar mahupun pesawat kita yang
melibatkan 52 kontrak pertahanan ini menelan belanja hampir RM1.4 bilion setahun. Jadi,
kalau kita tahu bahawa siling kita setakat ini adalah sebanyak RM800 juta. Jadi, sudah
barang pasti kita cuba memanfaatkan bajet yang telah diberikan oleh Kementerian Kewangan
kepada kita tetapi dalam masa yang sama kita tahu bahawa ada beberapa isu yang
mengekang kita juga untuk memastikan bahawa kita memerlukan bajet tambahan.
Antaranya saya lihat bahawa kita di Kementerian Pertahanan memang kita
menggunakan garis 20 peratus daripada garis luar jangka kita tetapi kalau kita melihat kepada
apa yang berlaku sekarang di mana kita ada peningkatan antara 30 hingga 40 peratus luar
jangka ini yang melibatkan penyelenggaran kita. Sebab itu kalau kita lihat kita memerlukan
bajet-bajet tambahan ini. Contohnya kalau kita lihat macam A400, kalau kita lihat pada tahun
2024 kita menghadapi masalah brake dan kosnya agaklah tinggi kerana ia bukan sahaja
melibatkan brake tetapi melibatkan hidraulik dan juga keseluruhan daripada sistem tayar itu
dan ini memerlukan peningkatan kepada keperluan bajet kita.
Begitulah juga kalau kita lihat macam F/A18. So, kita boleh melihat bahawa kadang
kadang ia melihat juga kepada modul ataupun kerangka itu sendiri ada keretakan dan
seumpamanya. Mungkin tidak kita letakkan dalam bajet kita tetapi bila ini berlaku dia
sebenarnya memerlukan bajet tambahan daripada kita.

–Malaysian Defence

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