Bersatu today urged Putrajaya to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the procurement of six littoral combat ships (LCS) for the Royal Malaysian Navy.
In a statement, Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the real culprit behind the scandal can only be revealed and punished through a transparent and credible RCI.
“This RCI will also ensure transparency in the investigation and nothing can be hidden by those who work in cahoots with the corruptors.
“I also support the MACC action to initiate an investigation into this issue. The MACC must be given the power and freedom to carry out a thorough investigation.
“There is concern that the hidden hands behind this scandal are trying to avoid responsibility,” he said.
Wan Saiful was commenting on the findings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which concluded that Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) was building six ships based on a design that was not requested by the navy.
It was also concluded that then defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had greenlit BNS' suggestion to switch the LCS’ design despite the navy’s repeated protest.
Apart from delays, the PAC uncovered that BNS still owed more than 600 suppliers money for the LCS project.
Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) was supposed to have delivered five LCS by this month. None has been delivered. The first delivery was scheduled for April 2019, but the PAC noted that the ship was only 44 percent complete.
Wan Saiful added that if a truly independent and transparent probe does not take place, the LCS issue might be the next “mega scandal” that would tarnish Malaysia’s image like what happened with the 1MDB financial scandal. - Mkini
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