'Who will venture a guess as to how much of the RM6 billion will end up as capital flight and into secret bank accounts at various offshore financial centres?'

'Navy vessels cost 870 percent more'

Clearwater: The first batch of the locally built OPVs (offshore patrol vessels) by Daim Zainuddin's crony Amin Shah Omar Shah was an unmitigated financial ripoff and an operational disaster. Late deliveries, myriad defects, lack of seaworthiness... even worse than Proton cars.

No doubt this second batch may be better built but the financial ripoff continues, it appears. God help us to defend Malaysia's shores because the OPVs are likely purpose-built locally to fill crony pockets more than anything else.

4076: Yes, Umno will spin it so the Malays will get together at each election and continue to vote Umno into power.

This is what ‘ketuanan Melayu' really is all about. Keeping the people split with images of the other races taking it all away from the Malays, while in reality it is the Umno rascals who are taking it all away - like in all these big ticket arms purchases. As long as the Malays are vulnerable to this line of thought, this country will never change.

Manjit Bhatia: Hardly surprising, don't you think? That was my first thought.

My second thought was whether Abdul Razak Baginda, who is now hiding in England after the grisly murder of the Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, and a close confidante and best friend of PM Najib Razak - and who, incidentally, had privately run a defence consultancy whilst he was a senior staffer to then-defence minister Najib - has a hand in this latest shenanigan.

Would it surprise anyone if this Abdul Razak fellow has his grubby mittens in this latest state-led corruption enterprise? Or perhaps the 870 percent greater price tag (than anywhere else) is merely a reflection of inflation?

DAP MP Liew Chin Tong asked: "In the instance where international open bidding offers half the price and better quality, are we still insistent in building this particular segment of local industry?"

Answer: Yes, definitely. It's called import substitution industrialisation - a euphemism for corruption.

And who will venture a guess as to how much of the RM6 billion will unsuspiciously end up as capital flight and into secret bank accounts at various offshore financial centres?

Dood: I wonder how much was paid in commissions, and to whom.

Aku Melayu Islam: Kementerian Pertahanan - tempat membantu orang tengah menjadi jutawan dalam sekelip mata. Siape tak mau berurusan dengan kementerian ini?

Rakyat? Pandai-pandai le ko orang budget untuk beli nasi, minyak, kenderaan, rumah, yuran, tuisyen, tol, perubatan, dan lain-lain. Duit baki negara, nanti kita agih agihkan pada tempoh pilihanraya, ya? Sabo ye?

Pants on Fire: This is a very serious matter, involving so much of our hard-earned money. We must go to town with this. Who is making all the money?

Anonymous676_tt: This is a concerted effort to start a naval building business. While the total figure was RM6 billion, this may not be the cost of just the six vehicles. There may be start-up cost, dry docks and many things involved in naval ship building.

If, like in aircraft maintenance, we can start up something here, it could lead to jobs, technology and many more things. So why don't everyone wait and for a change say, "Why not, maybe we have a chance to start something here".

JBGUY: Are we in a state of war? Is any country planning to invade us in the near future? Why the urgency to spend billions when there are other more worthwhile causes which need this money?

The fact that we are over-paying is one issue and the fact that we need them at this juncture is another. Whose money is being spent? Is Defence Minister Ahmad Zahidi planning to pay for it out of his pocket? If so, then it is no issue but if it is the rakyat's money, I would like to see more discussion on this before any purchase is made.

We the rakyat don't want to see a repetition of the ‘Scorpene deal'. We have enough of mis-management and corruption, perhaps it is time the rakyat made it clear to their MPs that any more wastage of public funds will not be tolerated.

Tailek: The Defence Ministry is probably the most corrupt and scandalous ministry in the whole country. Open competitive bidding is avoided on the grounds of national security but in reality it is to allow corrupt politicians and ministry officials and cronies to make mega-bucks in dirty money.

It has become so blatant and high-handed that former and current defence ministers do not even see the need to explain these excessive pricing to Parliament.

Anonymous_1a1d: Why pay more? If one study carefully, almost all defence purchases are customised to Malaysian defence requirements. As a result, there are weapon/electronic integration development cost that will be incurred. These can double the actual cost depending on the level of sophistication and the complication of the integration tasks involved.

However, it may not guarantee that it will be more cost effective or better than the standard equipment which had done very extensive operational test and evaluation trials.

MAF (Malaysian Air Force) sets very high standard to ensure that its equipment will not be obsolete after few months of purchase. Well, this creates many problems in term of weapon/electronic integration and integrated logistic supports since there may be many different suppliers from different countries involved.

The Defence Ministry has to consider the risk involved and ensure that there are sufficient technology acquisition to ensure that the equipment can be maintained throughout its operational life.

Wira: Our defence vessels must necessarily cost 8.7 times more because Umno cronies, rent-seekers and politicians shall leech on the billion ringgit contract to claim their reward. Yet those scumbags are telling us that government subsidies must gradually be weaned off?

Anonymous_3e86: Global Financial Integrity's (GFI's) figure of RM889 billion in illicit capital outflow will now be further increased by another RM6 billion, no thanks to these six naval vessels.

By the way, what happen to GFI's offer to help Bank Negara? Silence.

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