The RM4.2 billion arms deal worth RM4.2 billion entered into by the Defence Ministry at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2013), on top of the earlier argument that Parliament could not yet be dissolved as a caretaker government cannot enter into mega-ringgit defence deals at LIMA, has brought to the centrestage the important questions of good governance and public integrity and the issue of corruption in Malaysia – especially what is the proper and ethical conduct of a government which is reaching close to or gone past its “expiry” period.
There can be no contention that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is already the country’s longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate of his own after taking over the reins of premiership from Tun Abdullah Badawi is already an “expired” Prime Minister leading an “expired” Cabinet and Government in the past three weeks since March 8, when it lost all public credibility, authority and legitimacy as the government of Malaysia.
Why can’t the RM4.2 billion arms deal in LIMA wait until after the 13GE for whichever government, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, to make the final decision?
If Pakatan Rakyat wins in the 13GE and forms the new Federal Government, it would want to use its first mega billion-ringgit arms deal to send out a clear and unequivocal message that it would be a model of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance, in line with a policy of “zero tolerance” for corruption where not a single ringgit or sen would be squandered for corrupt or crony purposes.
As fighting corruption is allegedly onn top on the agenda of Najib’s Government Transformation Programe (GTP) and his various NKRAs (National Key Result Areas), is the Cabinet on Wednesday prepared to take a decision to make the RM4.2 billion arms deal in LIMA the first test case of a “Zero Tolerance for Corruption” policy, subjecting the RM4.2 billion arms deal to the most stringent examination and scrutiny by a bi-partisan group comprising representatives from Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat and NGOs?
I want to reiterate that otherwise, the RM4.2 billion deal would be subject to review if Pakatan Rakyat forms the next Federal Government after the 13GE, and cancellation if they are found to be unfair or involved abuses of power or corrupt practices.
In this connection, I call on Najib to make public all the mega defence and other contracts entered into by the Federal Government in the past three weeks since March 8 when his premiership has “expired” its credibility, authority and legitimacy.
This will be a further test of Najib’s commitment to the war against corruption to uphold the principles of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance.
#1 by HJ Angus on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 4:24 pm
Any new government has the authority and duty to ratify and rectify such last-minute deals.
I hope the new Pakatam government will raise the bar and not follow such type of purchases unless it has been approved in the Budget or by a special sitting of Parliament.
#2 by yhsiew on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 6:27 pm
Fishiness is always a prelude to corruption!
#3 by chengho on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 6:51 pm
Vote for BN
#4 by drngsc on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 7:00 pm
They have lost all sense of shame. They are afraid to face the music. Overstay their welcome. Refuse to leave after the show is over. In the meantime, SAPU! SAPU! SAPU! SAPU!
LISTEN! LISTEN! LISTEN! LISTEN! ABU
We must change the tenant at Putrajaya. GE 13 is coming. He cannot run away from the truth forever. Let us all work harder. Let us get all eligible to vote. Let us do our part to watch the ballot box. Desperate people will cheat, so we must be vigilant. First to GE 13, then to Putrajaya.
Change we must. Change we can. Change we will.
#5 by Godfather on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 7:00 pm
Vote for BN is vote for corruption. All the urban folks know. Soon those squatting under the rambutan tree will also know.
#6 by Godfather on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 7:03 pm
Funny thing is that the US, UK and Australia governments know how corrupt this regime is. The French know too, but their companies like Alstom and Thales are far too deep in the sh!t now.
#7 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 8:18 pm
Reasonable request because the new government would need to be able to access the deals. A responsible umno should reveal the info asked for.
#8 by waterfrontcoolie on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 8:58 pm
This statement by LKS is a fair warning yo ALL those parties eager to sign national contracts with a Gomen uncertain of retaining its power! Don’t complain tomorrow if those terms are referred to the International Courts of Justice for being created with a lop=sided term for ‘consultancy”!
#9 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 9:48 pm
LKS really has come full circle to attack Defense contracts of UMNO.. I still remember him attacking the Mahathir’s time of anomolies of defense contracts when Mahathir was known around as the Mr. 20%..He later on became, as revealed by YTL and others to be Mr. 30% and now apparently the percentage has gotten to much higher in defense contracts..
#10 by dawsheng on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 10:20 pm
We are now living in a country with the laws of the jungle where the end justify the means and the show must go on. Basically, the arm deal at LIMA is to compliment the scandalous Lahad Datu to secure a triple win for BN. Nonetheless, it was well worth the efforts because BN has successfully portrayed itself as still relevant, effective, responsible and above all patriotic in the eye of the Malaysians who only cares about how many intruders were killed and not why and how the intruders landed on Lahad Datu in the first place. Arm with billions more firepower than ever, Malaysians are now at ease knowing well some of their leaders are sleeping on the job. With that, BN leaders can continue with their way of life siphoning billions more out of the country. It’s wonderful jungle indeed.
#11 by chengho on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 11:24 pm
in the other country , u do not discuss defence budget/purchasing in the open, silly Malaysian
#12 by assamlaksa on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 2:15 pm
I wonder who revealed the RM4.2b figure, BN or PR?
#13 by good coolie on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 11:34 pm
The country’s guardians must make sure that there is no “last kopek’ going on. Keep your eyes open now, more than ever. Also files tend to go a missing after elections.
#14 by PR123 on Sunday, 31 March 2013 - 11:36 pm
Najib has already lost his credibility long ago, being the illegitimate PM not elected by the citizen and of course one of the most corrupted, tainted and useless PM. He is irrelevant now being expired. All he knows is spend and SAPU. Overstaying and enjoying at the expenses of the rakyat.
One thing for sure is we must change the tenant at Putrajaya for the betterment of all Malaysians/
#15 by sheriff singh on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 12:24 am
By the time PR forms the government the Treasury will be empty. All that will be left is a lot of IOUs.
Najib and his gang will be long gone laughing all the way to the bank.
#16 by cinaindiamelayubersatu on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 12:59 am
vote for BN = Busuknya Nanah
#17 by Noble House on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 1:10 am
In practical politics, it is an accepted role for a ‘caretaker government’ although the expression for such is not defined in constitutional or legal terms. It is an interim government, a type of government that rules temporarily in varied and infinite circumstances.
The caretaker government has no busines to take policy decisions of a long term nature or which would bind the next government, nor it should enter into contracts involving taxpayers’ money and the national coffers. A new government is perfectly entitled to review such contracts and terminate them if they are not in the public interest. Giving away monies like the BR1M payments from taxpayers’ fund is wrong. The fundamental principle of our parliamentary system is cleared on monies that can be expended by the government except where no other prior approval of the legislative branch (Parliament) is required.
#18 by Noble House on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 1:26 am
In other countries, they don’t have an ‘expired’ government to begin with. Silly argument this is!
#19 by ReformMalaysia on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 1:54 am
How much “I help you, you help me” commission involved? Like the scorpene deal?
#20 by monsterball on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 8:23 am
Najib has to act and believe he will be PM after 13th GE and win big majority.
Without that acting….he will expose his true self.
So he announced spending billions…building this or that…when his term as PM expired….but how many Malaysians understand that?
#21 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 8:32 am
Just one question. Must we make the purchase during LIMA? I mean look, defence equipments are mighty expensive stuffs. Try calling an amway agent for half a dozen bottles of detergent. He would hv them delivered to you. What more with those expensive defence equipment. One call to the sales department and I bet they would send a whole sales team on the next available flight to kl. And it is not like the english premier league where window periods are fixed for teams to make purchases of players. Here the government basically has the whole year to consider the needs and to place the orders.
The hasty manner jib concluded the deal can only mean one thing. Again, like the scopene purchase, a certain super fat commission would be earned by a certain 2dollar company with no track record.
#22 by Bigjoe on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 8:45 am
Muhiyiddin statement that automatic dissolution of Parliament is unlikely confirms that Najib has LITTLE control over the actual GE date.
He has time to go to the MALL but can’t find the time to rid the nation of the uncertainty of a GE?? HOW MORE ENTITLED CAN YOU GET??
Najib is utterly confused person. He mistakes that just because by law, its the PM perogative to call a GE when he wants to, that its HIS right to do so..He long ago lost the the moral right to call the GE and so many other things…
#23 by omeqiu on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 8:56 am
Kit, what can you do when Najib keeps quiet all the time? All followers of your blog know your effort to discredit Najib. But these are already opposition voters anyway. Can you reach the hard-core BN voters? Will they even consider voting PR at all?
#24 by Winston on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 12:35 pm
ALL DEALS, past and present, that were/are detrimental to the interests of the people and the country will be abrogated.
The signatories to these deals or the persons authorising them will be brought to trial.
#25 by assamlaksa on Monday, 1 April 2013 - 2:18 pm
Looks like Najib/MinDef treat LIMA as year end sale or something similar to IT Fair
#26 by monsterball on Tuesday, 2 April 2013 - 11:30 am
Chengho…..read my lips……ABU.