Archive for category Defence
The RM2.3 billion 12 Cougar EC725 helicopter deal should be suspended until the outcome of PAC scrutiny
Posted by Kit in Defence, Parliament on Wednesday, 22 October 2008
When the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in Pekan on Sunday that the Cabinet had agreed that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) scrutinise the acquisition of the Eurocopter EC725 helicopters to replace the aging Nuri helicopters, it raises the serious question whether the Prime Minister-in-waiting fully understands and respects the principle and practice of parliamentary democracy and the doctrine of separation of powers.
In a country truly founded on parliamentary democracy, where the Cabinet is answerable to Parliament and not vice versa, the question of the Cabinet approving a parliamentary scrutiny of an Executive decision would not have arisen – as this is the unquestioned right and prerogative of Parliament in the discharge of its tasks to exercise check-and-balance on executive power.
As the PAC has decided last Wednesday to scrutinise the three mega-scandals highlighted by Pakatan Rakyat in the 2009 budget debate, the RM5 billion Maybank purchase of Bank International Indonesia (BII) at five times the book value, the RM2.3 billion defense deal for 12 Cougar EC725 helicopters and the awarding of the RM11.3 billion high-speed broadband contract to TM Bhd, is Najib suggesting that the Cabinet would only agree to the PAC scrutiny of the Eurocopter deal but not the two other mega-scandals?
Furthermore, what does Najib mean when he said the Cabinet has agreed to the the PAC scrutiny of the Cougar EC725 helicopter deal?
Last Friday, the Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah issued a totally unsatisfactory statement to claim that the decision to procure the Europcopters was done following proper procedure and was not influenced by any party, as no satisfactory answer had been given to queries as to why the full technical evaluation process had not followed standard international practices and lacked transparency. Read the rest of this entry »
The RM2.3 billion Eurocopter fiasco – suspend Letter of Intent
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Defence, Good Governance, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 15 October 2008
The first thing Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did as Defence Minister was to announce on 26th September that the Defence Ministry has agreed to acquire new helicopters from European helicopter manufacturer, the Eurocopter, to replace the Nuri.
This RM2 billion deal lacks accountability and integrity.
Four helicopters had been “short-listed” by the Ministry of Defence to replace the fleet of Sikorsky S61-A4 Sea Kings better known as the Nuri.
The four are the Eurocopter Cougar EC725, Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip.
However, Abdullah shocked everyone with his announcement as the “short-listing” had not been completed and the pricing of the EC725 is not competitive compared with the other helicopters.
The pricing offered by the “short-listed” helicopters are:
Eurocopter Cougar EC 725 – Euro 463.44 juta (RM2.317 billion);
Sikorsky – US$427.20 juta (RM1.45 billion)
Canadian Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd. Model Kazan MI-172 buatan Russia
– US$312 juta (RM1.061 billion)
This means that there is a difference of RM1.256 billion between Eurocopter Cougar EC 725 with the lowest bidder, the Kazan MI-172 KF – in other words, with US$600 million the Royal Malaysian Air Force can buy 26 units of Kazan helicopters and not just 12 Cougar helicopters. Read the rest of this entry »
Why Eurocopter’s Cougar has been selected to replace Nuri
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Corruption, Defence on Saturday, 4 October 2008
The Prime Minister-cum-Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should set an example of integrity and transparency by making public the details of the shortlisted bids for the four aircrafts to replace the RMAF Nuri helicopters and the reason why Eurocopter’s Cougar EC725 has been selected.
It is a sad commentary on the failure of Abdullah’s National Integrity Plan that Malaysia’s latest ranking on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index has plunged 10 places in his five years as Prime Minister from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 47 in 2008 and a deepening crisis of confidence about integrity and transparency.
Abdullah should be aware that his first act as Defence Minister, announcing that the Defence Ministry has agreed to acquire new helicopters from European helicopter manufacturers, Eurocopter, to replace the Nuri has been immediately dogged by integrity and transparency questions – in particular, the allegation about the involvement of his son Kamaluddin Abdullah in the Eurocopter deal.
It is for this reason that Abdullah should make public the details of the shortlisted bids by the four aircrafts to replace the RMAF Nuri helicopters and the reason why Eurocopter’s Cougar EC725 has been selected.
If no full explanation is forthcoming from Abdullah, I will be raising this issue in Parliament when it reconvenes on October 13.
The Eurocopter Cougar EC725 was one of four aircraft shortlisted by RMAF. The other three were the Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip. Read the rest of this entry »
Another NS death
BY: Emergency Physician
Dear YB, please speak up for the many concerned parents regarding the deaths and deaths and deaths in the NS camps… it is very very worrying… authorities don’t seems to concern much
i am a doctor, working as a specialist in emergency department… i can somehow guess what had happened… it is ridiculous for a victim to die like that in Kem Semanggol with a simple answer of unknown fever… ridiculous!!! is a case of neglect and delay treatment..
the victim Too Hui Min… again… if not because of neglect and delay of treatment… WHY WHY WHY should a victim complaining of constipation die… it is not the answer…
i suspect it is the stupidity of the paramedic who did not refer her earlier to the hospital… believe me, i have seen many referral letters written by paramedic to the hospital with stupid diagnosis… just because he didn’t know what’s happening…he might have simply labeled her as having constipation. rather than seeing the non bowel opening as a warning sign to something sinister… he made the wrong diagnosis of keeping her in the camp further and worse still, gave her a pill which could make her worse!! If he is not qualified to make a decision like a doctor, at least he should refer!!!!
My heart really goes out in tears to those who have trusted their children into the hands of these people…only to bring back dead bodies
So, please YB, please speak up on our behalf..numerous letters had been written in Malaysiakini, even in other papers like the STAR, etc.. I for once, wouldn’t want to send my children, when the reach that age…to the hands of potential murderers.
Independent inquiry – whether Najib negligent in not phasing out Nuri helicopters earlier
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, announced yesterday that the Cabinet had decided that the Nuri helicopters be phased out within three years and that an international tender for new helicopters would be called in the next few months.
The Nuri helicopters would still be used pending the arrival of new helicopters.
He said: “They are the only aircraft available to carry out operations. We can’t stop using them.”
The air force has more than 20 Nuri helicopters aged between 30 and 40 years.
“We pray that such accidents will not happen again,” Najib said, adding that no one could guarantee such incidents would not recur.
Such an explanation is neither satisfactory nor acceptable to the public or the bereaved families of casualties of Nuri helicopter crashes, who must bear a life-long doubt whether their loved ones would still be alive if the authorities concerned had fully discharged their duties to ensure that the Nuri helicopters were fully safe and air-worthy.
When eleven RMAF lives were lost in two RMAF Nuri helicopter crashes in Sabah in March 1997, DAP had called for the most thorough inquiry into the airworthiness of all Nuri helicopters. Read the rest of this entry »
Nuri helicopters – is it right to risk lives of air force personnel if Defence Minister and VVIPs find them too dangerous to use?
The country grieves with the families of the six crew members of the S61-A4 Sikorsky Nuri helicopter who perished in a crash in Genting Sempah on Friday, which resulted in a massive five-day search operation involving about 1,600 search and rescue personnel.
The casualties were: Capt Nor Azlan Termuzi, 29, from Kuala Lumpur; co-pilot Capt Nor Intan Asykeen Mohd Arof, 27, from Butterworth; air quartermaster Flight Sergeant Khusnizam Ariffin, 34, from Kelantan; avionics technician Flight Sergeant Mohamad Azmie Md Yassin, 35, from Batu Berendam, Malacca; airframe technician Leading Aircraftsman Saifulizam Alias, 28, from Muar, Johor; and engine technician Leading Aircraftsman Muhammad Ridzuan Ahmad, 27, from Pokok Sena, Kedah.
The latest Nuri helicopter crash — the 17th in 40 years and claiming 72 lives – has again raised questions about the safety and airworthiness of the Nuri helicopters.
It is most heart-rending to read of the account of Hashidee Murshin Hassim, 29, a childhood friend of Captain Nor Azlan Termuzi, of how the pilot in the fatal crash had a “fear of flying Nuri”.
Azlan, who had been a pilot for 11 years, had been flying the Nuri on the Sungai Besi-Kuantan route for the past two years.
The New Straits Times in its report “Captain feared flying Nuri” quoted Hashidee as saying that Azlan had told him that “he would rather drive a truck to Kuantan, because he felt safer”.
According to the NST report:
For each flight, Hashidee said, Azlan would always rely on the assurances given to him by the helicopter technician.
“He was even thinking of quitting the force, but his contract with them was the only thing that stopped him as he would have to fork out RM49,000 for breaching it,” he said.
“Everytime he flew the Nuri he would call to tell me that he was taking off and upon reaching Kuantan, he would call me again.
“This time, he never called me back.”
It is a very serious reflection of the shocking state of morale in the air force when Nuri pilots are living in literal fear of flying the helicopter. Read the rest of this entry »
Sukhoi fighter jet deal – something fishy
Posted by Kit in Defence, Good Governance on Sunday, 27 May 2007
by T GOPAL
Kota Damansara
I just surfed the web and found three different news related to purchasing of Sukhoi fighter jet from Russia by Vietnamese, Indian and Malaysian governments. Go through the news and I will tell you why I smell something fishy here. Read the rest of this entry »
RM534.8 million commission for Scorpene submarines – why Perimekar?
Posted by Kit in Defence, Good Governance on Thursday, 3 May 2007
Commission paid was under the guise of support and coordination services
by Richard Teo
The pathetic explanation given by the Defence Ministry regarding the purchase of the Sukhoi SU30MKM fighter and Scorpene submarines raises more suspicions than answers.
The public is not concerned with the laborious explanation regarding the negotiations carried out by the Defence Ministry neither are they interested in the approval levels and the checks by the technical and price committee.
What the tax paying public is interested is why was the contract awarded to Perimekar to prepare support and coordination services for six years. The contract value was 114.96 mil euros(RM534.8 mil) to be paid in stages according to the level of progress of the project.
What kind of support and coordination services that Perimekar can provide that the Defence Ministry is not capable of providing?
The pertinent question that begs to be answered is why was the contract awarded to Perimekar. In view of the substantial amount involved (RM534.8 mil) was there any open tender for the contract? Read the rest of this entry »
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