MP SPEAKS | Both the past and the future of Malaysia’s littoral combat ship (LCS) saga matters.

The release of the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report on the RM9 billion scandal - which has seen not even a single of these much-needed vessels for Malaysia’s defence completed despite RM6.083 billion already spent on it - has led to many questions in the public discourse over who is responsible and what went wrong.

This is entirely correct and appropriate.

Even if all of the ordered LCS’ were magically delivered tomorrow and the country was able to recoup the money wasted or improperly spent, the culprits must still be brought to justice.

Malaysians must stop letting themselves be gaslighted over the wrongdoings of the years behind us.

Still, forward-thinking and planning are needed.

The guilty must be punished. But we must also learn the lessons that this saga offers: namely that competence, accountability and transparency must apply to all government procurement - including for military hardware.

Malaysia’s ability to defend itself has arguably been negatively impacted by the delay in building the LCS. This delay was arguably exacerbated by the fact that the government of the day did not act transparently or consultatively.

No future outline yet

The current federal government has decided to continue with the project by maintaining the same contractor, Boustead Naval Shipyard Bhd (BNS).

But it has yet to reveal how it intends to ensure that the failures and delays that have plagued the project will not recur.

The current defence minister, Hishamuddin Hussein, has said that he hopes the first LCS will be completed “…within a year or two”.

However, he ought to have outlined how the government will ensure this will indeed happen and what it will do if it does not. It must not be forgotten that he had oversight over this project during his previous tenure as defence minister for over four years.

All we have from him and his colleagues in the government are promises. They are in effect, requesting Malaysians for patience and goodwill, over and over again.

Also, although there have been several arrests, as far as one is aware, no one has yet been charged over the scandal, although the MACC has said recently that it plans to do so soon.

Malaysians deserve more than just words from the government.

Obsolete equipment

Much is at stake. The PAC report has found that the “detailed design” for the project has yet to be finalised between the government and BNS. This, as the PAC argues, leaves the project vulnerable to continued manipulation.

More worrying still, the PAC found that 15 percent out of some RM1.7 billion worth of equipment stored for the LCS are now obsolete.

Will the LCS be able to perform during its sea acceptance trials?

This means that there is a risk these vessels may not be able to properly defend our country even when they are completed.

The possibility that the contractor has and will be able to overcome its previous problems cannot be denied. But the record so far, like it or not, has not been encouraging.

The government seems to be running on the assumption that the first two LCS’ can be completed by 2024 or sooner and that they will be accepted without issues.

However, it is unclear if the two ships can be completed by 2024 with the remaining RM3 billion or so budget, especially considering that there are RM800 million in liabilities.

Recall how the PAC report has confirmed that the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) concerns about various issues surrounding the LCS’ design were ignored by the contractor and the then government.

As such, if the LCS is found to be not fit for purpose - if and when we get the vessels - how will they be corrected without future cash injections?

These doubts and concerns cannot simply be dismissed either.

The government should comprehensively outline how they plan to deal with these looming challenges as well as act on the PAC report’s recommendations promptly.

It should also declassify the report by the Special Investigation Committee on Public Governance, Procurement and Finance on the LCS as well as implement its respective recommendations.

The future of the LCS saga is just as crucial as its past.

Bersatu submits memorandum requesting RCI on LCS to Agong

Hisham called to explain LCS contractor's finances in Dewan Negara

Umno Youth wants LCS RCI with independent experts

Ex-navy chief scuttles 'dummy ship' rumour

I favoured BNS for LCS as it belonged to LTAT, Najib scoffs at Teo

LCS report to be declassified, PM vows transparent probe

LTAT boss: Boustead forced to use LCS money to pay off bad debts

LCS: Teo wants Najib to explain sweetheart deal for BNS

NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD is Setiawangsa MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.