Ahmad Zahid must take responsibility over failure of LCS project, says Liew

PETALING JAYA: Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong has called out Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) over his denial of involvement in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project fiasco.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (Aug 7), Liew claimed that it was Ahmad Zahid who approved the project in his capacity as the defence minister in 2011.

"Ahmad Zahid must take responsibility for the misappropriation of funds and the failure of the LCS project.

"He must not try to avoid his responsibility and must answer to the people immediately," said Liew, who was also the former defence minister, during Pakatan Harapan’s administration.

Earlier on Sunday (Aug 7), Ahmad Zahid said the fiasco in the procurement of LCS should not be pinned on him as he was not the defence minister when the project was awarded.

The Umno president added that anyone involved in the issue should provide an explanation to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

It was reported that RM1.4bil worth of government funds intended for the multibillion-ringgit LCS project signed in 2014 was diverted for other purposes.

So far, not even one of the ships is completed, although five should have been delivered by this month, PAC revealed in Parliament.

Another RM255mil worth of LCS equipment, or 15% of the RM1.7bil worth, which was kept in store for the project, was now obsolete.

These were among the findings contained in the bipartisan committee’s 250-page report that was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Aug 4.

Of the RM1.4bil, RM400mil was used to repay previous debts incurred under the New Generation Patrol Vessel (NGPV) project, RM305mil was used for an integration facility in Cyberjaya, and another RM700mil was a cost overrun that exceeded the LCS contract ceiling.

On Thursday (Aug 4), PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said Ahmad Zahid would be called by the committee early next month, to testify.

Former commander of the Royal Malaysian Navy Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar and the main contractor of the LCS ship project BNS were also among those called for the proceedings.