SHAH ALAM: I cry if I want to. Apart from giving an explaination on the Defence Ministry’s financial commitments to three projects – Gempita, LCS and the MD530G – Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong also on Dec. 16 in parliament said that it paid RM200 million per year for the maintenance and upkeep of the two Prime Ministers submarines.
During the proceedings, the deputy minister also said this:
Sukacita untuk saya maklumkan kepada Ahli-ahli Dewan yang mulia ini bahawa Kementerian Pertahanan mengambil pandangan yang sangat holistik dan akan melaksanakan tiga pelan teras untuk memastikan ATM di bangun dengan baik dan tiga-tiga pelan ini dibawa atau dicadangkan dalam Kertas Putih Pertahanan.
Pertama, Pelan Pelaburan Pertahanan Negara (3PN) ataupun Defence Investment Plan. Kedua ialah rangka tindakan kapasiti pertahanan terutamanya berhubung dengan sumber manusia atau talent dan ketiga Dasar Industri Pertahanan Negara (DIPN).
Pelan Pelaburan Pertahanan Negara ataupun di negara lain dipanggil Capability Plan, di negara lain ia dipanggil sebagai Capability Plan merupakan pelan terperinci Kementerian Pertahanan untuk menumpukan usaha pelaburan pertahanan secara strategik supaya masa hadapan merupakan ATM yang bersepadu iaitu joined, cekap dan fleksibel. Dijangka Pelan Pelaburan Pertahanan Negara akan dikemukakan dalam tempoh pada tahun 2021 dan akan dilaksanakan sehingga tahun 2030. Pelan ini akan diiktiraf oleh kerajaan secara keseluruhan dan akan diberi peruntukan secukupnya.
Sebelum ini untuk makluman Laksamana, sebelum ini kita ada pelan rancangan perkhidmatan. Tentera laut ada 15 to 5, tentera udara (TUDM) ada CAP55. Akan tetapi, pelan ini bukan pelan yang diiktiraf oleh MEA ataupun Kementerian Kewangan. So, apa yang kami hendak usahakan sekarang ialah satu pelan capability atau pelan pelaburan yang diiktiraf dan diangkat dan diberikan peruntukan kewangan oleh Jemaah Menteri dipersetujui oleh Jemaah Menteri supaya kita ada pelan jangka panjang dan pelan strategik yang secara menyeluruh.
Ini adalah satu susulan daripada Kertas Putih Pertahanan. Rangka tindakan kapasiti pertahanan pula berkenaan pembangunan model insan di Kementerian Pertahanan dan ATM supaya tenaga kerja kita sentiasa berkemahiran tinggi dan menepati keperluan cabaran semasa. Akhir sekali, Dasar Industri Pertahanan Negara pula akan mentransformasikan industri pertahanan tempatan yang sekian lama hanya dipenuhi dengan orang tengah yang tidak menambah nilai kepada ekonomi negara.
Kedua-dua pelan ini akan dikemukakan dalam tempoh tahun 2020 hingga 2021 dan akan di laksana sehingga tahun 2030. Dengan ini, sudah jelas bahawa Kementerian Pertahanan melalui Kertas Putih Pertahanan telah bersedia untuk melaksanakan satu perubahan yang komprehensif dan mengatasi cabaran pentadbiran sebelum ini demi pertahanan negara.
Based on the above, the Capability Plan is to be formulated within the next 16 months or so (depending on when the RMK12 will be tabled). And it could turn out very different from what the military had planned for despite what were stated in the Defence White Paper. This includes the Army 4G plan which was not mentioned by the deputy minister. It also meant that some of my stories on the future force may turn up completely baseless.
It must be noted that the deputy minister also stated that the previous military procurement plans were vendor driven, a stand apparently taken by the Defence Ministry and the government. He said this was the reason the previous procurements by the BN government were riddled with corruption, delays and wastefullness.
I think this is wrong, past military procurements were always politically driven which readily explained why certain vendors were chosen instead of others. Not acknowledging this, in my view, will lead to same mistakes in the future.
— Malaysian Defence
View Comments (25)
Bad news is, all the previous plans are not agreed upon by those who hold the cash.
The positive side is, we can really reset everything and plan properly according to budget.
Yes. The fact remains that until there is a fundamental change in how we go about the whole procurement process and how everything is politically driven to benefit the local industry; nothing will change, the end user will not get the desired capability and the taxpayers will not get his/her ringgit’s worth.
One would have thought that we would have learnt by now from years of doing things in a highly flawed manner and there would be a genuine desire and commitment to change things .....
"Sebelum ini untuk makluman Laksamana, sebelum ini kita ada pelan rancangan perkhidmatan. Tentera laut ada 15 to 5, tentera udara (TUDM) ada CAP55. Akan tetapi, pelan ini bukan pelan yang diiktiraf oleh MEA ataupun Kementerian Kewangan. So, apa yang kami hendak usahakan sekarang ialah satu pelan capability atau pelan pelaburan yang diiktiraf dan diangkat dan diberikan peruntukan kewangan oleh Jemaah Menteri dipersetujui oleh Jemaah Menteri supaya kita ada pelan jangka panjang dan pelan strategik yang secara menyeluruh."
ok then...let see how good you are in planning the long term for our defense force...really hope you take the our defense force opinion before deciding what to do...
and i also really hope Dasar Industri Pertahanan Negara (DIPN) will take lesson on the gowind and gempita.
zack,
We can be optimistic and hope so but looking at our history; have we displayed an ability to learn from previous mistakes? Even if the DIPN identifies what has gone wrong and makes its recommendations; it still depends entirely on the politicians. They are aware of the problems we face but for “national interests” may not be willing to make the needed changes.
MoF must admit that it's plan is not working as intended. The infrastructure is deteriorating, it's procurement policy is open and cost effective but poor value for money. With scant regard for upkeep and maintenance and the need to lock the future upkeep in the present price has resulted in many non functioning machines in many services. Please don't play the blame game anymore.
zaidi - “MoF must admit that it’s plan is not working as intended”
The MOF’s job is to provide allocation for what has been approved for. The 3 armed services will make their case and will press for it but ultimately it’s the job of the Defence Minister - with backing from the PM, the Finance Minister and other officials - to ensure the MAF has the needed operational and procurement funds. The problem is that from the very top itself: defence is not a priority and the attitude is that it can always wait until things get better. It also doesn’t help that the bulk of voters ;whom the polticiand depend on) couldn’t care less about the MAF.
The PM I’m sure has a very good idea of the true state of things despite. for him defence being the very last of priorities. It’s possible that he’s content maintaining the status quo with who leads the Defence Ministry in the knowledge that this individual isn’t going to raise too much of a fuss and will do what he’s told.
Azlan
as always,i'm a optimistic since the so called malaysia baru already promise earlier the defense will be free from political influence and have transparency. would love to see how they achieve that or working toward that...
but in the end the defense was not in the voter mind so the politician have less interest on that.plus many on the new govt have mentality "why spending much on defense if we cant do much if China happen" or "XXX money better build school or hospital rather on defense"...
Moving forward, IMO the finance ministry should give a clear indication what is the DE budget they can allocate for 1 RMK, especially RMK12 and RMK13 then the mindef plan their DE according to that. Rather than planning the DE first then asking for the budget. Because without clear budget, even I would like to plan to get a ferrari for myself.
But for now what the services can do, is to plan their DE based on what logically the MOF could give. The DE plan should also be compared to the projected DE plans of neighbours and countries that is going to deploy their military in our region up till 2030.
Anyway off topic.
There is rumors that Algeria will be the 1st export customer for Su-57 and Su-34.
Reply
The problem is I have been told that the MOF cannot give even an estimate of the amount of money that could be given to the Defence Ministry.
I concur with Zack. Let's see how the new boys in the Defence Ministerial seats will pan out. Or perhaps pancake(d) yet again. 'Vendor driven' what drivel is that when the pollies don't think much of the men and women in uniform!
@ marhalim
MOF knows the GDP projections to 2030. Is it a big ask to have an average of at least RM4.5 billion each year from 2021 to 2030 for defence development expenditure? Can we afford to lose our EEZ and billions of ringgit it pumps into our economy by not beefing up our defence? Stop thinking too much about vendors and such, there is a much bigger worry than that!