Explain redactions in declassified LCS report, Kit Siang tells govt

 

Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang has called on Attorney-General Idrus Harun to review and explain the redacted sections in reports on the RM9 billion littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal. 

This is over two recently declassified reports, the audit report prepared by the committee on Procurement, Governance and Finance chaired by former auditor-general Ambrin Buang and the forensic audit of the LCS procurement by Alliance IFA (M) Sdn Bhd. 

“This is to illustrate that the government is now acting in accordance with the norms of good governance and not acting arbitrarily, which is the cause of the RM9 billion LCS scandal, which is shaping up to be the new 1MDB scandal,” Lim said in a statement today. 

The DAP veteran also urged Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to present a ministerial statement in the Dewan Rakyat when it reconvenes on Oct 3. 

He said that the minister needed to explain how the Defence Ministry has implemented the recommendations listed in the declassified reports.

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang

“Although the two reports had been severely redacted, a reading of the two reports will show that the Najib (Abdul Razak-led) government, which must assume full responsibility for the largest defence procurement scandal in the history of Malaysia, had been seriously remiss in its duty to safeguard the interests of both former and current service personnel and that of the nation.

“We should have six LCS in the Royal Malaysian Navy to safeguard the security and safety of the nation, but because of the RM9 billion LCS scandal, Malaysia has been left naked.

“Even with the redactions, a reading of the sub-headings of the reports will point to the conclusion that there had been gross abuses of power and breaches of trust,” he said. 

Lim proceeded to list several subheadings in the 104-page forensic audit report, which was completed in July 2020 and declassified on Aug 22. 

The sub-headings he cited from the report were: 

• Delegation of authority to the managing director and misuse of power

• Protecting the interest of Contraves Advanced Devices Sdn Bhd at the cost of Boustead Naval Shipyard

• Anomalies detected in the payment milestones for the said letters of authorisation (LOA)

• LOA in favour of (dutch firm) IHC Metalix BV and their selection process

• Some of the major red flags ignored

• Important elements indicating purposeful mismanagement

• An attempt to cover up

The forensic report is the second of two audit reports that the cabinet ordered to be declassified on Aug 10. - Mkini