Walaupun tertangguh, LCS ‘lebih baik daripada tiada langsung’, kata pakar

Analysts argue that the procurement board involving various branches of service and ministries in monitoring the acquisition of defense assets will ensure decisions are not made by a single individual. Despite controversies surrounding the LCS project, it will still provide important and relevant assets to the Royal Malaysian Navy, even though the delivery of the ships has been repeatedly delayed, says defense analyst Lam Choong Wah and Salawati Mat Basir.

Although some aspects of the LCS may be outdated when it starts operating, it will still significantly improve the capabilities of the navy. "So it is better than not starting at all," they tell FMT. Salawati, a maritime affairs expert from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, states that the LCS project remains crucial for the TLDM.

"Yes, it is somewhat outdated in some aspects, but we have no choice." The RM9 billion project, now estimated to cost RM11.22 billion due to delays and cost increases, will not deliver the first LCS until December 2035, according to National Audit Office (LAO) report released on October 5. However, Defense Minister Khaled Nordin has challenged this deadline.

The LAO also found that the entire LCS project for the five ships is 7.55% behind schedule, with delays ranging from 30 to 108 days. Lam Choong Wah backs the call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the troubled project, citing numerous sensitive documents that cannot be accessed even by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

"Moreover, the RCI can recommend reforms and identify those responsible," he says. To ensure progress in the future, Malaysia's defense procurement needs to be conducted with meticulousness and greater oversight, two elements that have been neglected for decades. The issues arising from the LCS project are not unique, Lam points out, but rather a common practice.

While some argue that defense procurement should be kept confidential due to its sensitive nature, Lam argues that other countries have prioritized modernization to enhance efficiency and accountability. He suggests that the first step towards efficiency is to list major defense procurement in the annual federal budget, while all procurements worth over RM100 million should automatically be placed under parliamentary oversight.

"Ongoing oversight by the Public Accounts Committee, National Audit Office, and the parliamentary select committee for parliamentary safety needs to be mandatory for all defense procurements worth over RM100 million," he adds. Salawati argues that the repeated failures in defense asset acquisition are linked to the habit of consultation for national security reasons, which hinders thorough investigations by the public and Parliament.

He urges the establishment of a procurement board involving multiple branches of service and ministries to oversee defense asset procurement, stating that such a mechanism will ensure decisions are not solely left to one individual. "International defense procurement through open tenders should also be conducted to prevent any party from taking control of the contract," he says.