KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, has issued a stern reminder to the Defence Ministry not to repeat past mistakes in the procurement of military assets, particularly used aircraft that could endanger the lives of pilots and military personnel.
Sultan Ibrahim said Malaysia’s experience in purchasing second-hand Skyhawk aircraft should serve as a lesson, as the planes could not be fully used.
“Do not repeat the past mistake like when we bought second-hand Skyhawks… Are we going to put our pilots in ‘flying coffins’? Think for yourselves,” he said.
“I believe all this happens because the Defence Ministry is full of agents or ex-generals turned salesmen, and even textile traders trying to sell drones,” said Sultan Ibrahim at the 60th anniversary parade of Rejimen Gerak Khas (RGK) at Kem Iskandar, on Aug 16.
Also present were the Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail and Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim.
Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Malaysian Armed Forces chief General Mohd Nizam Jaffar and Army chief General Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan were also in attendance.
The A-4 Skyhawk, developed by McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing), was closely associated with the Royal Malaysian Air Force, which acquired 80 units from the US in 1982 at US$1 million (S$1.28 million) each, before retiring the fleet due to a high accident rate.
Sultan Ibrahim, who is also colonel commandant of Gerup Gerak Khas, further advised the Defence Minister to cancel the proposed purchase of Black Hawk helicopters that are more than 30 years old, out of concern that the same mistake would be repeated.
He said all parties involved in military procurement must ensure evaluations are conducted transparently, based on market prices and the actual needs of the armed forces, and not merely on the recommendations of agents or vested interests.
“Do not waste time buying nonsense that does not fit the needs of the military. If you don’t know the price, ask me first,” he said.
“Five years ago, I pointed out the purchase of rigid raiding craft for the commandos at RM5 million (S$1.5 million), when I could have sourced a better boat for under RM2 million,” he said.
“Recently, I heard there was a proposal to buy a similar boat but in a larger size, at nearly RM10 million. This makes no sense and must be carefully reviewed,” Sultan Ibrahim said.
He stressed that if all asset purchases are made at inflated “middleman” prices, then government allocations will never be sufficient.
“Therefore, do not try to fool me. If you do not want to heed my advice, I will not speak up again,” he said.
In addition to highlighting the need for price transparency, Sultan Ibrahim also criticised the delay in the combat diving pool project at RGK Camp, which was supposed to be completed in 2022 but is still not operational.
At the same time, he urged the government to prioritise the acquisition of new equipment to ensure RGK’s readiness remains at the highest level, enabling swift response to any threat. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
