KUALA LUMPUR : The Cabinet Ministers’ Meeting by consensus has approved the acquisition of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project to be continued after considering two important factors.
Senior Minister of Defence, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said, one of the main factors is that LCS is an asset that is very much needed by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMD), not only to fulfil the RMD’s modernisation plan under the Transformation 15 to 5 but more importantly to elevate the preparedness of the armada team and as an improvement in the effort to protect the national maritime.
HIshammuddin added, secondly there are 400 vendors involved in this project with the financial implication worth more than RM4 billion. From the total more than 100 companies are owned by Malaysians while 90 per cent are related to the veterans.
“Majority of them are in Lumut especially the skilled workers/experts/ and family members. The decision has been part of the efforts to secure the welfare of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans, wives and their families.
“With the decision, there will be no more question whether the LCS’s acquisition will be continued or not. Now all stakeholders can move forward and focus to achieve success.
“More importantly, every mechanism towards the proposed improvement particularly from the Special Cabinet Committee should be implemented in the best possible way so that the plan and the time line could be fulfilled accurately,” Hishammuddin said in a statement here Wednesday.
In the efforts to solve the issue of LCS’s acquisition, Hishammuddin stressed that it was a long and challenging journey. The PAC session on LCS has been conducted 10 times and he has been requested to attend the PAC on 25th January 2022 besides answering questions on LCS for 10 times in the Parliament.
The Senior Minister added, the journey includes getting the consensus and cooperation from all stakeholders in the Special Cabinet Committee chaired by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed including Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Finance, RMD, Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS), Implementation Coordination Unit (EPU) and Attorney General Chambers of Malaysia. – Malaysia World News
