SHAH ALAM: More investigations into LCS project. The Parliament Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will call former defence minister DS Ahmad Zahid Hamidi early next year for its proceedings regarding the failure of the LCS project.
PAC chairman Wong Kang Wah was quoted by Bernama as saying that former RMN chief TS Abdul Aziz Jaafar and the management of the Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) the LCS main contractor will also be called for the committee’s proceedings on the project. From Bernama.
Maharaja Lela at the BNS facility in October, 2018. She is still missing her mast and other items. She is likely rusty after undergoing limited harbour trials.
“Pelantikan BNS Sdn Bhd dilakukan secara rundingan terus dan sehingga Oktober lalu, sejumlah RM6.083 bilion telah dibayar, dan tidak ada sebuah kapal LCS siap dibina walaupun mengikut jadual sepatutnya dua kapal LCS siap dibina setakat ini,” katanya pada sidang media di Dewan Rakyat hari ini.
Wong berkata isu itu dilaporkan dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (LKAN) 2019 Siri 1 (Pengauditan Pematuhan Kementerian/ Jabatan Persekutuan) dan Laporan Siasatan Jawatankuasa Siasatan Tadbir Urus, Perolehan dan Kewangan Kerajaan (JKSTUPKK), diterbitkan pada 2019.
Jelasnya PAC Parlimen juga akan mengadakan lawatan tapak pembinaan kapal LCS di Lumut, Perak bulan depan.
“PAC Parlimen memandang serius isu kegagalan pembekalan enam kapal peronda LCS oleh Kementerian Pertahanan (MINDEF), membabitkan nilai perolehan sebanyak RM9 bilion.
“Kegagalan penyiapan kapal LCS amat serius, kerana ia membabitkan kelemahan dari segi tadbir urus, perolehan serta kewangan, tetapi memberi impak terhadap keselamatan dan pertahanan negara,” katanya.
Wong berkata PAC Parlimen berpendapat bahawa suatu penyelesaian hendaklah diputuskan oleh kerajaan secepat mungkin, dan berikutan itu, adalah penting bagi PAC Parlimen untuk menyegerakan prosiding isu itu dan membentangkan laporannya ke Dewan Rakyat.
Beliau berkata setakat ini empat mesyuarat dan prosiding dengan beberapa saksi telah dipanggil, antaranya Ketua Audit Negara Datuk Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid, Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pertahanan Datuk Seri Muez Abdul Aziz dan Pengerusi JKSTUPKK Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.
“PAC Parlimen berhasrat untuk melengkapkan dan membentangkan Laporan PAC berhubung isu pembekalan enam kapal generasi kedua LCS ini ke Dewan Rakyat, dalam sidang Parlimen pada Mac 2021,” katanya.
— BERNAMA
It is interesting to note that the PAC chairman did not mentioned Ahmad Zahid’s successors – DS Hishammuddin Hussein and Mohamad Sabu. So it is unclear whether both will be called to the proceedings.
The keel of the fourth LCS in the BNS hangar for the ceremony in 2018.
I am not absolving Ahmad Zahid from the issue but leaving out Hishammuddin who was the minister when work started on the ship and Mat Sabu who was the minister when the delay became public, is surprising to say the least. Both will be able to give the proceedings an overview on what happened between 2013 and March, 2020.
Boustead executive chairman TS Ramlan Ali (centre) greeting Defence Minister DS Ismail Sabri when the latter visited the BNS yard in mid-November to check on the LCS project. The LCS hull in the background looked appeared to be fitted with the propellers but without the rudder. I am guessing that this is the second hull as it does not have water marks on it. Kementerian Pertahanan picture.
Two more potential witnesses are former Prime Minister DS Najib Razak, who was the minister of Finance during the period and Chief Secretary to the Government TS Zuki Ali, who was the Defence Ministry secretary-general on the latter part of Hishammuddin’s tenure with the ministry. Also not named for the next proceedings is Aziz’s successor, TS Ahmad Kamarulzaman Badarudddin.
–Malaysian Defence
View Comments (28)
while they continue with this witch hunt, TLDM will continue not getting the 6 ASW frigates its desperately needs.
why i came out with option 4.
With option 4, they can continue with this witch hunt, which IMO wouldn't get those involved punished anyway (just look at the recently dropped curruption case circuses). But at the same time get a new programme rolling to really give the 6 ASW frigates TLDM needs by 2025.
A witch hunt is great but only if it really determines who’s to blame; what went wrong and the government and industry makes a concentrated and serious effort to ensure something similar doesn’t reoccur. What we don’t need is a politically driven PR exercise which changes nothing.
It’s cockups like this - together with others - which have resulted in us not getting the value we should have; despite the amounts poured into defence. It has also resulted in a very anti pathetic and sceptical public becoming even more so with regards to defence.
Those frigate sizes multi role combatants were intended to significantly improve the RMN’s capabilities; instead it went so horribly wrong and the taxpayer, plus the end user will pay the price.
"did not mentioned Ahmad Zahid’s predecessors – DS Hishammuddin Hussein and Mohamad Sabu"
Successors you meant? Predecessors are those before Zahid.
Why Zahid and not H2O and Sabu? Well I am guessing it also relates to the ongoing attempts to unseat the current government and the headcount that could turn Benedict Arnold.
@ alzan
" politically driven PR exercise which changes nothing "
It will just be a PR circus, and it will further delay whatever Gowinds that can be completed with option 2.
Better just sign off and give away our EEZ to china by the looks of it.
The PAC is a bipartisan body which will include the participation of opposition figures. So in theory it’s findings will be non political and not shewed to a particular side.
The problem is the PAC can only determine what went wrong; how it went wrong and who’s to blame. It’s a good start but unfortunately it’s recommendations will play no part in ensuring something similar doesn’t reoccur; the next time we embark on another local building programme which on paper offers nothing but long term tangible benefits - supposedly ...
Someone kept mentioning 1MDB but should take note that a past PAC also had audited 1MDB. Despite being theoretically bipartisan I would take PAC audit results with heaps of salt, the same RM 300 salt that I put over Auditor General report on our RWS-less Guardians for UNFIL, and other audit reports subsequently.
Like this ‘sinking’ affair with the Navy and all the rest of the Armed services which by the way have similar penchant for cost overruns and simply Bermuda Triangle projects...it is a reflection of the country and its government. Beyond saving..
@Eddy Azmi
UK too had to faced thru 62% cost overruns for their QE carriers and they too had to grapple with Brexit from their government. Is it indicative that UK is beyond saving?
@Joe
I concur with your statement, however cost overruns due to developmental or technical oversight are mostly acceptable. In our case, it’s purely a money pit. I’m sure we all know it for a fact to the point of being sick just by talking bout it. We’ve gone through this multitude of times already, be it in military bills or otherwise..will it ever be done.
The world is watching, these are supposedly ‘patriotic’ business entities, I think not
@Eddy Azmi
If you followed QE development, the cost overruns were technical but really it was caused by successive governments flipflop on deciding to pursue nuke or conventional powered, STOL or CATOBAR config, and others.
These plus the endemic British naval ship building malaise to underdeliver, delay, and again cost overrun.
Do we have technical difficulties? It shouldn't if we had followed the OEM specs exactly. Do BNS have financial issues? It shouldn't if BNS hadn't have too many units on the plate ongoing. Do we have competency issues? It shouldn't if BNS project management team had done their due diligence and followed the project closely.
The fact that 2/3 of the budget is used up and the 1st ship is not even near completion is telling about BNS incompetence to manage it.