SHAH ALAM: The Home Ministry has estimated that it need some RM200 million to complete OPV 2 and OPV 3 which are left uncomplete at the THHE Fabricators Sdn Bhd yard in Pulau Indah. Home Minister DS Shaifuddin Nasution said they had already requested the funds after checking original allocation.

He did not say whether the extra allocation if funded meant that this would exceed the contract for the three OPVs awarded in January 2017 – RM738.9 million. Malaysian Defence believes it will be.

Shaifuddin said that one of the OPVs was nearly 75 per cent complete, while the other vessel was at 50 per cent completion.
“Although the vessels are behind schedule, the ministry wants to see the two vessels completed.

“We estimate that an additional allocation of RM200 million is needed,” he told reporters on board the KM Tun Fatimah at Pulau Indah, April 1. The ministry had already issued a loan of RM153 million to THHE Destini JV Sdn Bhd, the builder of the OPVs to complete Tun Fatimah.

He also further said that the Cabinet agreed that the ministry can employ any method or strategy to complete the two ships.

Malaysian Defence also believes that the figure is too low to complete the ships without the need to hand them over to a new shipyard.

Shaifuddin also said that ministry had approved a budget of RM280 million to build a mothership. He did not say further on the mothership though but Malaysian Defence had written about the aborted tender for it previously.

As for the four AW189 helicopters for MMEA, Shaiffuddin confirmed that the contract for the helicopters cost RM600 million.

MMEA, he added, would also receive two new generation patrol craft, two special interceptor boats, and five rigid hull fender boats (RGFB).

The minister also the MMEA will received an OPV from the US Coast Guard at the end of 2024.

–Malaysian Defence

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