Tensions between PKR and Muda are heating up as a spat over the littoral combat ship (LCS) project scandal continues.
In the latest salvo, PKR deputy information chief Razeef Rakimin bluntly asked if Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was "dense" (bebal).
This is after the Muar MP said yesterday he would continue to speak out on the matter even if he is "threatened" by those who were previously vocal on the LCS scandal.
In the title of his statement last night, Razeef (above) asked: "What is Syed Saddiq too dense to understand?"
He said the PKR Youth statement rebuking the Muda president on Sunday was not a "threat" but just a reprimand for him not to twist the issue.
"However, now he twists the PKR Youth statement as a ‘threat’ for him not to speak on people's issues, and this is not true," Razeef said.
The LCS scandal refers to a project in which Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) was supposed to deliver the first of six vessels to the navy by 2019.
However, none has been delivered so far.
Faced with continued delays and cost overruns, the Anwar Ibrahim administration moved to nationalise BNS and cut the number of LCS to five - at an increased cost.
Syed Saddiq filed an emergency motion to debate the matter in the Dewan Rakyat last Thursday.
However, the motion was rejected by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul - a former PKR strongman - for a number of reasons.
One of the reasons, which Syed Saddiq has been harping on - was that it did not fulfil a requirement for emergency debates to be matters of urgent public importance.
Syed Saddiq then accused the government of hypocrisy and implied they were shielding those implicated in the scandal.
PKR Youth in response on Sunday, accused the lawmaker of "shifting goalposts", and accused him of painting the government in a bad light.
Razeef, in his statement, stated that Pakatan Harapan has not strayed from its promise of resolving issues related to the LCS scandal, and that investigations into individuals accused of swindling the project are still ongoing.
"Regarding increased costs stemming from changes and additions to specifications, as well as inflation, have been answered, however, he (Syed Saddiq) continues to ask the same question as though he is too 'dense' to understand," he added.
Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari told the Dewan Rakyat last Thursday that one factor for increased cost was changes in some specifications for the LCS that Putrajaya is ordering for the navy.
This includes adding surface-to-surface missiles and a decoy launching system to the vessels.
The second factor was the additional 83 months needed to complete the project - incurring more costs.
The Public Accounts Committee is currently conducting a renewed probe into the LCS scandal.
BNS is also expected to give progress reports to the government every quarter.
The spat between PKR and Muda on LCS is just the latest in a series of disputes between the two parties.
This is despite Muda seeking to join the PKR-led Harapan coalition, and having cordial ties with other component parties. - Mkini
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