FORMER defence minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has cried innocence over the delay in delivery of six combat ships to the Royal Malaysian Navy.
This as he was not the defence minister at the time the littoral combatant ships (LCS) project was awarded and, therefore, should not be implicated.
The LCS project is the talk of the town after it was revealed that none of the ships have been received yet – despite RM6 bil already forked out and four years having passed.
“I held the defence minister’s role from April 2009 to May 2013,” UMNO Online quoted Zahid as saying yesterday (Aug 6).
“So whoever that caused the delay in the construction (of the LCS) should be responsible and explain themselves to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).”
According to news reports, the procurement of the six LCS was approved by the Government in early 2011.
An RM9 bil contract was then awarded to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) through direct negotiations.
The company is a subsidiary of Boustead Holdings Bhd, whose biggest shareholder is Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT).
“Where are the ships?”
On Friday (Aug 5), PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh revealed that five of the ships should have been received by August but have not.
The first LCS was contracted to be delivered in April 2019, the second in February 2020, the third in December 2020, the fourth in October 2021, the fifth in August 2022 and the sixth in June 2023.
Boustead also ignored the navy’s views on the project, the PAC said, including about a model design change proposed to Zahid.
Zahid will be summoned by the PAC early next month to answer questions over the scandal – which the UMNO president and former deputy prime minister said he is ready to do.
He added that the contract given to Boustead complied with direct negotiation procurement application guidelines, as per the PAC audit report.
“Clearly, it has nothing to do with me; LTAT is the largest shareholder in the company constructing the LCS,” he said.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has since said his ministry will comply with all of the PAC’s recommendations for the project.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), on the other hand, has completed its investigations into the matter for alleged graft, and has recommended charges to the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC). – Aug 7, 2022
