DEFENCE Minister Hishammuddin Hussein must state clearly the exact date the first littoral combat ship (LCS) is due to be delivered, Mohamad Sabu and Liew Chin Tong said.

In a joint statement, the former defence minister and his deputy asked the Umno lawmaker if he was hiding facts regarding the costs and the injection of new funds required to complete the ship, after making a conflicting remark on the delivery date.

“The Commander of the Armed Forces, General Affendi Buang on September 13 said that five LCS will be delivered in January 2026, September 2026, May 2027, January 2028 and September 2028, respectively.

“The delivery date of the first ship is the same as what was testified by the Defence Ministry Secretary-General Muez Abd Aziz to the Public Accounts Committee on September 27, 2021.

“Hishammuddin repeatedly stated that the first LCS could be completed and delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy within a year or two. Hishammuddin also said that the first ship does not need new funds from the government but refused to give a real picture of the funds needed to complete the other five ships,” they said.

The LCS project started under the Najib Razak administration, when Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was defence minister.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC)‘s report on the project’s failures has recently come to light.

The report disclosed that it had held nine hearings since November 18, 2020.

The PAC found that the contract was awarded to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd via direct negotiations and that not a single ship had been delivered after the government paid RM6.08 billion.

According to the project’s original schedule, five ships should have been ready and handed over to the navy by this month.

Mohamad and Liew said the date mentioned by Hishammuddin that the ship could be ready in two years was inaccurate and impossible.

They demanded that Putrajaya submit a proposed schedule, additional costs and the injection of funds required to build the LCS when parliament convenes on October 3.

“The delivery of the first ship in a year or two that Hishammuddin said was inaccurate and impossible. The date presented by the commander-in-chief is the earliest schedule if the detailed design programme begins now and the construction programme begins after the detailed design is finalised within a year.”

“When parliament convenes on October 3, the government must submit a proposed schedule, additional costs and the injection of funds required to build the LCS. Hishammuddin needs to answer these questions honestly and transparently,” they said. – September 19, 2022.