Zaid: Keep eye on 'blockbuster' defence scandals

Parti Kita chief Zaid Ibrahim is sparing nobody in raising new allegations on unchecked military spending, putting the spotlight on the controversial multi-billion ringgit contract to build offshore patrol vessels (OPV).

He slammed the government, saying it allowed the project to incur massive cost overruns, and at the same time, reprimanded the opposition for paying too much attention to street rallies while such "scandalous contracts" continued to flourish.

Zaid claimed that the cost of the OPV contract had ballooned to RM10 billion, with French shipbuilder DCNS - which supplied the country's two Scorpene submarines - allegedly being roped in to partner with Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd to build the vessels in Perak.

This is some RM4 billion higher than the initial claim made by Petaling Jaya Utara MP and DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua that the Defence Ministry would fork out RM6 billion to build six OPVs.

Zaid claimed that with DCNS in the picture, the OPV contract would most likely go through the same modus operandi as the controversial Scorpene deal, which has become the focal point of a French inquiry into corruption and murder allegedly involving the French shipbuilder.

Mark-up of RM700 mil

He also questioned the procurement of several hundred armoured personnel carriers (APC) - which was also first raised in Parliament by Pua - asking the rationale for awarding a nearly RM9 billion job to DRB Hicom, a company he said had no experience in building such vehicles.

Zaid claimed that there was a mark-up of RM700 million in the price of the APCs, while also accusing the Defence Ministry of possibly purchasing old technology from Turkey to build them.

It was vital, he stressed, that the opposition zeroed in on such deals as they could have a drastic affect on the nation's security.

"Our opposition politicians need not just focus their attention to rallying in the streets and peaceful protests. They must also get together to unearth such scandalous contracts that have been dished out," Zaid said in a statement posted on the Parti Kita website.

"We must not allow our country and our own security to be in jeopardy. And it is not just about the money and the frivolous spending. Our military forces, the navy and the air force, must be responsible for the decisions on the types of military hardware and software that we procure.

"Our army, navy and air force chiefs must be the judge of what we need and the appropriate price we should be paying for these purchases, not the politicians. These men, not the politicians, are the ones who are aware of what our country's defence requires." - Malaysiakini