KUALA LUMPUR: The controversial littoral combat ship (LCS) project has to be continued to strengthen the defence of national waters, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Setting a target to complete the ships by 2024, the Defence Minister said the decision was made based on commercial consideration.
“We want to make sure the ships are completed. If it is not all six, four would be enough as long as they are completed during my tenure in the ministry,” he added when delivering the 2023 Defence Minister’s message at Wisma Pertahanan here yesterday.
Mohamad said he had consulted the Finance and Economy ministries, among others, pertaining to the LCS issue, Bernama reported.
“We are not interested in suing anybody or putting someone behind bars; what I’m interested is to see the ships in our waters by July 2024,” he said.
The six LCS ships in the multi-billion-ringgit project, signed in 2014, were supposed to be delivered in stages beginning 2019, but none of them is completed so far.
In August last year, the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee revealed that some RM1.4bil in government allocations for the project had been diverted for other purposes.
Following this, former Navy chief Tan Sri Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, 78, was charged with three criminal breach of trust involving RM21.08mil at the Sessions Court here.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said the defence development capability and capacity would continue with government allocations amounting to RM17.4bil.
“A total of 281 procurement plans with a projected value of RM8bil is for the Malaysian Armed Forces military asset maintenance and spare supplies.
“Among them are a 155mm self-propelled howitzer, restoration of KD Laksamana, KD Jerai and KD Lekir for the Royal Malaysian Navy, as well as the maintenance of C130 aircraft and spare supplies of the navy’s aircraft.
“It is also to continue with the agenda to acquire the Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System and Light Combat Aircraft, apart from ensuring the priority of acquiring the littoral mission ship would receive due consideration of the Finance and Economy ministries,” he added.
He said all projects planned must be expedited, especially those involving one-off or special programmes which have to be paid in the current year.
