Amid LCS scandal, Pakatan promises armed forces ‘best treatment’ if it wins GE15
PETALING JAYA, Aug 18 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition today vowed to provide the country’s armed forces with the best if it gets the mandate to govern Malaysia again in the next general election.
PH communications director Fahmi Fadzil said treating the military right included reviving all paused investigations into past asset procurement deals as well as the proposed strategies contained in the White Paper that had been tabled in Parliament previously before it was ousted from Putrajaya in 2020.
“We, Pakatan Harapan, promise to resume the investigation that was stopped by the PN and BN governments after we were overthrown, if the people give us a new mandate in the next general election.
“We will also implement all the strategies presented through the Defence White Paper that has been presented before.
“We will ensure that our soldiers receive the best treatment and that their personnel are provided with the appropriate and best equipment to carry out their duties for the country,” he said in a press conference here.
Fahmi said in the Defense White Paper presented by the defence minister during Pakatan Harapan's tenure — Amanah president Mohamad Sabu — it was stated that the Royal Malaysian Navy expected to have the LCSs equipped with helicopters with anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and expected them to replace ageing frigates and corvettes.
He said that reports after reports of what happened in the project show the weakness of the previous Umno leadership with an attitude of treating the military as "take it or leave it" when they ordered military equipment without considering the needs of its users, the country’s military personnel.
He reminded the public that the French company mentioned in the report regarding LCS, DCNS is the same company which was related to the previous Scorpene submarine scandal.
“What matters is getting projects for their cronies instead of meeting the needs of our military.
Together with Fahmi were DAP National Publicity Bureau Secretary Teo Nie Ching and Amanah Communications Director Khalid Samad.
