KUALA LUMPUR – Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has taken the defence minister to task over a two-year difference in the delivery period of the first littoral combat ships (LCS).
Syed Saddiq, who is also Muda president, also questioned Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on the possibility that the LCS technology will be obsolete as the project will take nearly 15 years to complete.
“The LCS project started 12 years ago. Even if the armed forces received the ships now, it is a form of injustice for them. The Malaysian government has to take responsibility.
“What is the status of the tech installed in the six ships?” he asked in a statement today.
He also slammed the minister and the government for not providing a concrete explanation on the 15 years needed to deliver the six LCS.
“I cannot accept the minister's indifferent response to the matter.”
On Tuesday, Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Affendi Buang said in an interview with several news outlets that five ships were scheduled for delivery in January 2026, September 2026, May 2027, January 2028, and September 2028.
Later, the news reports were removed and Malaysiakini reported that Affendi’s timeline was “retracted”.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin was quoted as saying by Bernama on the same day that the LCS delivery timeline remained unchanged and stood by what was announced before.
“We are all in agreement – the armed forces, navy, Mindef (Defence Ministry), Boustead, Finance Ministry, all the way to the cabinet.
“We will not protect anyone who is guilty of any abuse and misappropriation.”
Hishammuddin last month told Dewan Negara on August 8 that the first LCS will be delivered in “two years”.
On August 4, the Public Accounts Committee disclosed that the committee had held nine proceedings regarding the LCS issue starting on November 18, 2020, and the last one on March 8 this year.
The results of the proceedings found that the LCS project contract was awarded to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd in direct negotiation, with the government having paid RM6.083 billion, with not even one LCS ship delivered. – The Vibes, September 16, 2022
