PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is taking a cautious approach to the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal as he knows it might jeopardise Barisan Nasional’s (BN) chances at winning the upcoming 15th General Elections (GE15).
During a group media interview last week, the UMNO vice-president reportedly noted that BN lost the previous general elections in 2018 because it did not deal with the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal well.
He added that the opposition parties will almost certainly use the LCS scandal as “ammunition” in their election campaign – just like how it shored up the 1MDB scandal leading up to the 14th General Elections (GE14).
“I believe this LCS issue will continue to be played (by the opposition) regardless of who gets charged in court,” Malaysiakini today reported him as saying.
“For us to wait for this issue to subside… we do not know when that will happen. But what is essential now, as I have also told my Cabinet, is to explain to the rakyat.
“The previous (BN) Government failed to explain 1MDB to the rakyat. This led to the people speculating and deciding what really happened.”
He added that the Defence Ministry (Mindef) has been asked to engage with the media to explain the “truth” about the LCS scandal.
Even so, the Bera MP recognised that it would be an uphill battle for the Government. As such, he wants to be transparent to the people.
“To us, whether the people will believe us or not, they must be given an explanation. We cannot cover up (this issue).
“That is why I decided to declassify the forensic audit report (on the LCS procurement). We must be transparent, so the rakyat can see.”
Talk of the town
The LCS project is the talk of the town after it was revealed that not a single ship had been completed – although the Government spent RM6 bil on the project so far and five ships should have been delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy by now.
Amid the blame game by the opposition and leaders from the previous BN administration, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has requested Cabinet to open a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the scandal.
The scandal will likely screw up BN’s changes in GE15 since several BN leaders were in charge at the time of the scandal, including former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and then defence minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Both have since washed their hands from the scandal.
Meanwhile, on the possibility of a hung Parliament after GE15, Astro Awani reported Ismail as saying: “Many analysts are saying that there will be no dominant party. This is worrying. If there is no party that can secure over 112 seats, there will be instability.”
On appointing a deputy prime minister, which Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) has been adamant about in recent weeks, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) quoted Ismail as saying there is no such need as he already has four senior ministers in Cabinet.
He also denied any rift with UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – a focus for political observers as the party heads into GE15 – describing him as a “good friend and an elder brother”.
He added that BN would contest the next elections on its own. UMNO currently has strained relationships with PPBM and PAS, which it joined hands with to form the Government in 2020. – Aug 21, 2022
Main photo credit: Utusan Malaysia
