Mr Abdul Rahman additionally confirmed that the progress of the LCS venture has been good, including that the supplementary settlement on the venture might be signed quickly.
This, he mentioned, will allow the next course of to happen and the development to be carried out as deliberate.
“It’s okay now. There’s nothing shocking. We additionally hope to get these vessels in response to schedule. We’re actually missing in high-capacity property just like the LCS.
“With the presence of LCS, it might assist us to strengthen ({our capability}) and perform our duties with excellence,” he added.
On Jan 5, Mr Mohamad Hasan mentioned that the primary batch was scheduled to set sail as quickly as July 2024.
“We are going to base our consideration purely on business foundation. We wish to make sure that the ships are accomplished.
“If it’s not all six, 4 can be sufficient as long as they’re accomplished throughout my tenure in MINDEF,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama when delivering his new yr’s message on the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) headquarters.
Mr Mohamad additionally mentioned that the RM9 billion (US$2 billion) procurement venture is a vital asset to the nation.
The Defence Ministry is predicted to obtain an allocation of RM17.four billion in Price range 2023, which is scheduled to be unveiled in February.
In August final yr, the Malaysian parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) tabled a report on the procurement of littoral combatant ships, two years after beginning a probe into the RM9 billion contract.
The committee mentioned the venture to assemble six ships was awarded by the Ministry of Defence to Boustead Naval Shipyard via direct negotiation. The federal government has paid RM6.08 billion or 66.65 per cent of the fee to this point.
Nevertheless, the PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh mentioned that not even one of many LCS ships has been delivered.
“In line with our timeline, 5 LCS ships ought to have been accomplished and handed over to us by August 2022,” mentioned Mr Wong who was then Ipoh Timor Member of Parliament.
The problem first drew public consideration in August 2020 throughout the tabling of the 2019 auditor-general’s report in parliament. Altogether, the PAC held 9 rounds of proceedings from November 2020 to March 2022.
Amongst these referred to as as much as the proceedings had been former defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who’s presently one of many two deputy prime ministers within the unity authorities of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Additionally referred to as as much as the proceedings had been then-defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein who held the portfolio from Might 2013 to Might 2018, former navy head Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar and officers from Boustead subsidiaries.
Former prime minister Najib Razak, who was Ahmad Zahid’s predecessor for the defence portfolio, has additionally been linked to the scandal.
This text was initially revealed by channelnewsasia.com. Learn the unique article right here.
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