More Moolah For Defence Ministry

SHAH ALAM: More money for Defence Ministry. The Defence Ministry budget for 2019 now stands at some RMR15.4 billion, with an extra RM226 million approved by the Parliament under a supplementary bill, on April 4.
The extra money is part of the Operating Expenditure as Defence Minister Mohammad Sabu told Parliament that the funds will cover maintenance and other operational contingencies of the military.

What is interesting was that Mohammad Sabu said that the ministry had asked for RM851 million under the supplementary budget but only got RM226 million out of the RM19.6 billion approved by parliament on April. 4.
The rest of the funds went to other ministries, of course.

Six RMAF Sukhoi Su-30MKM on the flightline at LIMA 19 together with three F/A-18D Hornets. Zaq Sayuti

This was the second time extra funds was added to the ministry’s 2019 budget. Originally, the government allocatted only RM13.91 billion for the Defence Ministry but this was increased by another RM1.4 billion (some two weeks after the 2019 budget was announced), increasing the budget to RM15.3 billion.
The extra allocation meant that the 2019 allocation now is down the 2018 one by some RM200 million only. Note that I am basing this post on the figures as reported in Parliament, and not on any budget documents.

Nuri helicopters during LIMA 19.

From the Hansard.

Jadi, yang kita pohon RM851 juta. Jadi, bukan ke semuanya kita peroleh. Walau bagaimanapun Kementerian Pertahanan mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Kementerian Kewangan yang sudi memberi belanjawan tambahan kepada Kementerian Pertahanan. Adapun saya akan menjawab secara umum dahulu. Kemudian saya akan pergi kepada pertanyaan-pertanyaan tadi.
Penyelenggaraan aset daripada RM226.1 juta yang diterima sebanyak RM65 juta telah diagihkan kepada Tentera Darat, sebanyak RM100 juta kepada TUDM, sebanyak RM3.8 juta kepada TLDM, sebanyak RM11.15 juta kepada Markas ATM dan sebanyak RM45.44 juta diberi kepada Jabatan Hal Ehwal Veteran. Penyelenggaraan aset pertahanan merupakan tumpuan utama Kementerian Pertahanan bagi memastikan kesiapsiagaan negara seperti yang ditimbulkan oleh Yang Berhormat Jelutong berada di tahap terbaik pada setiapmasa.Manakala bagi memastikan kebajikan anggota ATM terus terpelihara. Juga ditimbulkan oleh Yang Berhormat Jelutong tadi.
Kerajaan memberi peruntukan kepada selenggaraan rumah keluarga angkatan tentera dan bekalan ubat-ubatan di hospital dan Rumah Sakit Angkatan Tentera agar sentiasa mencukupi.Justeru itu bagi Tentera Darat peruntukan tambahan RM65.78 juta iaitu pengangkutan barang-barang dari luar negara untuk peluru, alat ganti kenderaan dan tayar kenderaan itu sebanyak RM1.85 juta.
Sewaan charter untuk membawa tentera kita ulang-alik daripada Sabah, Sarawak dan ke Semenanjung yang kita charter sama ada AirAsia atau MAS. Itu memakan belanja sebanyak RM3.32 juta belanjawan tambahan. Kemudian, ditambah lagi dengan PLKN dulu di bawah Kementerian Pertahanan sekarang di bawah Kementerian Belia dan Sukan.
Kita pakai tempat itu, Kementerian Pertahanan bayar sewa sebanyak RM28.6 juta. Kemudian, pembelian rangsum ini yang banyak berjumlah RM21.5 juta. Supaya askar kita cukup makan. Jangan sampai bulan Julai sudah tidak ada rangsum, nanti tidak cukup makan maka tidak sihat. Selenggaraan sistem komputer ini sebanyak RM7 juta. Perkhidmatan katering berjumlahRM29 juta. Di samping itu TUDM pula telah menerima RM100 juta bagi menampung kekurangan peruntukan sedia ada. Selenggaraan aset-aset utama seperti pesawat C130, Nuri, Sukhoi dan helikopter EC725.
Di LIMA baru-baru ini kita lihat Nuri terbang. Tunjuk kepada penonton semua bahawa Nuri umur 55 tahun masih boleh terbang dan membuat persembahan yang baik.
Sebab di dalamnya diperbaharui segala sistem, maka dia dapat terbang dengan baik. Kemudian kita lihat pula masa saya menjawab di awal penggal dahulu iaitu Sukhoi boleh terbang waktu itu hanya empat. Di LIMA baru-baru ini kita terbangkan 10…maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)dibuat oleh syarikat tempatan dengan kerjasama bantuan teknologi asing dan sebagainya kita dapat terbangkan Sukhoi bahkan membuat pertunjukan yang begitu hebat. Di LIMA baru-baru ini.
TLDM pula sejumlah RM38 juta peruntukan tambahan telah diterima bagi menampung pembayaran kontrak rangsumlagi. Bekalan makanan. Di bawah Markas ATM, peruntukan tambahan sebanyak RM11.15 juta diterima telah digunakan bayaran pukal minyak Operasi Pasir. Operasi Pasir itu berjumlah RM6.15 juta.
Bekalan ubat di hospital, Rumah Sakit AngkatanTentera ini kita minta tambahan RM5 juta. Jabatan Hal Ehwal Veteran. Bayaran perubatan veteran tidak berpencen belanjawan tambahan sebanyak RM2.4 juta. Bayaran perubatan veteran pencen berjumlahRM30 juta.

Do note that a supplementary budget is a normal thing to do by even the previous government, so dont go off tangent making wild claims against the government (made by some people when I posted about the delay on the VL MICA SAM contract). However it must be pointed out the extra allocation added to the 2019 defence budget some two weeks after it was announced was very unusual.

RMAF Sukhoi Su-30MKM M52-02 which had completed its 10th year servicing program. Zaq Sayuti

Anyhow, RM100 million allocated to RMAF for aircraft maintenance was likely done for aircraft meant for LIMA 19. It is likely that most of the unfunded money requested under the supplementary bill- someRM600 million- would have been used for RMAF upgrade programmes. Despite Mat Sabu’s bravado about the ten Sukhois taking part at LIMA 19, we know that six were already available, they had just to make sure four more available to reach that number. The tenth aircraft was M52-02 which was already undergoing the proof of concept for the Sukhoi 10th year servicing programme.

Two Nuri helicopters peforming their displays at LIMA 19 opening ceremony.TUDM picture

The two Nuri taking part in the opening display were also not the two that had undergone the upgrade previously.

— Malaysian Defence