[UPDATED] Rafizi reveals ‘leaked’ info on LCS controversy, says he has documents

KUALA LUMPUR – French naval vessel maker DCNS was privy to negotiations on the government’s move to develop and procure the six littoral combat ships (LCS) even before the Defence Ministry appointed Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) as the main contractor, claimed PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli.

Based on “leaked” information he received recently, Rafizi said he is in possession of three documents consisting of two quotations from DCNS dated December 23, 2010 and April 4, 2011, as well as a Letter of Intent from DCNS dated October 21, 2011.

He said the dates of the quotations from DCNS, as a subcontractor for the RM6 billion project, was important in the timeline of the controversy.

He added that this is because the letter of award from the Malaysian government – through the Defence Ministry – to BNS was only issued on December 16, 2011.

“This means that DCNS did not only have the full information on negotiations in building these warships, but even sent quotations and was given a letter of intent even before BNS was appointed as the main contractor,” he said in a statement today.

Rafizi claimed that an internal investigation by BNS parent company, Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation, concluded that it was “unusual” for DCNS to issue a quotation on December 23, 2010, even before the letter of award was signed between BNS and the Defence Ministry.

“This indicated that the deal was predetermined between the vendor and certain vested persons at BHIC/BNS who were at the helm of the decision-making process,” said the report Rafizi claimed to have received.

“The history of DCNS and its unethical practices to bribe Malaysians during the deal is well documented which were filed in court by the investigative agencies in France after conducting searches at DCNS & Thales office,” the report further said.

Rafizi also noted that there were parties with vested interests in wanting a French subcontractor to be part of the project to build Gowind-class ships for the navy, even when the Royal Malaysian Navy had wanted smaller Sigma-class ships to suit its needs.

“The French subcontractor is no stranger to scandals in Malaysia. In the end, the subcontractor appointed was DCNS, that is the same contractor involved in the building and supply of the Scorpene submarines.”

He added that he believed Malaysians agreed with him that the BHIC and BNS officials were “small fish” who did not have any power to make major strategic defence decisions in changing the design of warships decided by the navy.

The former Pandan MP also pointed his finger at former defence minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who helmed the ministry during the deals, and who was allegedly responsible for switching the designs to Gowind-class vessels.

Rafizi also suggested there was intervention by then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who he said “could not wash his hands clean” of the alleged scandal.

“The only political leader who has the power to change the design of the ships at the time and also had a history of relationships with DCNS (through the purchase of the Scorpene submarines) is Najib Razak.”

Rafizi added that during Najib’s time in office, the prime minister was more powerful than the defence minister in influencing the change of ship design so that the French subcontractor, namely DCNS, would be selected for the project.

“… I will continue to expose a variety of misappropriations that took place, which resulted in not a single ship being completed so far,” Rafizi said. – The Vibes, August 8, 2022