The Caretaker Minister of Defence Hishammuddin Hussein has asked what Pakatan Harapan did to resolve the Littoral Combat Ship issue.
As Chair of the Dewan Rakyat’s Special Select Committee On Defence And Home Affairs from the end 2019 until 2020, I initiated an inquiry into the project in light of the long delays that had been plaguing it.
We held hearings and summoned a number of stakeholders as well as individuals involved.
Our investigations were completed and my Committee had almost finished the report it was drafting when the infamous “Sheraton Move” took place. The Federal Government—and hence control of Parliament—changed hands, meaning that our work could not be completed.
Nevertheless, our findings mirrored and was vindicated by the subsequent Public Accounts Committee report on LCS saga, which has compelled the current administration to speed up its otherwise desultory attempts at ensuring Malaysia gets these much-needed ships.
At the same time, the Defence Ministry under the PH Federal Government of 2018—2020 was actively working on completing the project in a more speedy and transparent fashion which was more in line with national interest, before likewise being disrupted by the “Sheraton Move.”
It is therefore categorically incorrect for Hishammuddin to imply that PH did nothing at all in regards to the LCS.
We certainly did more than the previous BN administration which ended in the 2018 General Elections, which seemingly behaved as it nothing at all was wrong with the project, when there were clear weaknesses that have led to it being delayed until this very day.
The rakyat are not fools and they will know when an attempt is clearly being made to gaslight them, in this and other issues in the GE15.
NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD
KEADILAN VICE PRESIDENT
CHAIR OF PARLIAMENTARY SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE FOR DEFENCE AND HOME AFFAIRS 2019-2020
SETIAWANGSA MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT 2018-2022
