Politicians, stay out of military purchases, says Anwar

June 18, 2023

BUTTERWORTH: Politicians and external agents should stay out of military purchasing decisions, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said today.

He said he had given orders to the service chiefs of the army, navy and air force that purchasing decisions should be made on professional grounds by the respective units.

“Politicians need not meddle. Same for external agents. When it is decided, we discuss with the Treasury on costs and we negotiate directly with the relevant governments,” he said in an address to personnel of RMAF Butterworth, the air force base here.

Anwar said he had been astonished to see a navy frigate dating from the 1970s on display at the recent LIMA maritime and aerospace expo in Langkawi.

“I want to salute these ships but I don’t know where to put my face. The last frigate (on display at LIMA) was from 1998,” he said, adding that the government had approved allocations when Lim Guan Eng was finance minister (from 2018-2020).

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Wajarkah Pengkhianat UMNO Di Terima Semula?

Anwar said the direct-deal method employed by the government in military purchases would prevent the occurrence of corrupt commissions.

Discover the power of Demo Trading. No risks, no deposits needed & no obligations.

He recalled a time when some parties pocketed 100 million euros in commissions to acquire a submarine.

“I am prime minister and finance minister, power is in my hands, but what do I know about jet fighters? So best to leave it to the experts who can compare with other types of aircraft,” he said.

At LIMA last month, the government signed a contract to buy 18 Korean-built FA-50 light fighter and advanced training aircraft, replacing the Aermacchi MB-339CMs trainers which are currently grounded, and Hawk light fighter aircraft.

The navy operates two guided missile frigates, KD Jebat, the navy’s flagship, and its sister ship Lekiu. Launched in the mid-1990s, they are the navy’s largest warships until the Maharajalela-class frigates are completed.

KD Jebat replaced KD Hang Tuah, which served as the navy flagship from 1977 to 2018, when she was decommissioned and turned into a museum ship.

Separately, Anwar said he was appalled by the condition of some military quarters, with one in Langkawi lacking proper water supply. He said an immediate fix had been carried out, while maintenance problems in other quarters will be fixed next year.

Anwar said the government’s priority was to fix schools that are in bad shape at a cost of RM1.4 billion, before moving to facilities of enforcement agencies such as the police, military and prisons.