LCS: Khaled harap syarikat tak ada apa-apa lagi alasan

Defense Minister Khaled Nordin has expressed his hope that Naval Shipyard Lumut Sdn Bhd (Lunas) will not provide further reasons for the delayed delivery of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to the Ministry of Defence (Kementah). Kementah expects the new timeline for LCS construction and delivery to be adhered to without any further changes, he stated.

As the buyer, Kementah is understandably eager for the LCS to be handed over. With the new expected delivery date of April 2027, the ministry hopes that Lumun will not have any more excuses for delays or lateness. It is crucial to understand that Kementah is the client, not the contractor, and they did not build the ship, the minister added during his presentation of the National Audit Office (NAO) 2026 Report 2/2026 in the Dewan Rakyat.

The NAO 2/2026 report found that the LCS project had been delayed by 7.55% compared to the schedule up to June 25, which poses a risk to the physical delivery of LCS 1. This lateness is mainly due to the lack of availability of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system, following the cancellation of export permits for that missile by the Norwegian government.

Khaled acknowledged that changes in the construction schedule and delays in LCS construction have affected the concern and dissatisfaction of the armed forces. He said Kementah is very eager and dissatisfied with the delays and the performance of LCS construction entrusted to Lumun. He believes that with the cooperation and commitment of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) this time, Lumun will not change the delivery date and the transfer of the ship to Kementah will finally be made in April 2027.

He believes the MoF will also take steps to maintain the good name of MoF since Lumun is a part of the Ministry of Finance. Earlier, in the NAO 2026 discussion, opposition MPs and government deputies called for a comprehensive inquiry into the LCS delay, including the establishment of a royal inquiry commission (RCI). Ahmad Amzad Mohamed (PN-Kuala Terengganu) supported Sany Hamzan's (PH-Hulu Langat) proposal for the government to establish an RCI to investigate the relevant project.

Ahmad argued that a thorough inquiry was needed due to the large sums of public funds involved, either through the RCI or other mechanisms. However, Hassan Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) disagreed with the need for an RCI because it would take time and be more complicated. Instead, he called for the Royal Anti-Corruption Commission (SPRM) and the police to thoroughly investigate the project since 2013.