Don't change your tune on LCS issue, Syed Saddiq tells AMK

KUALA LUMPUR: Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) should not change its tune on the Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) issue now that the party is in the government, says Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

“The people currently suggesting for action to be taken against me for bringing up the LCS issue in Parliament are the same ones who called for it to be brought up as an emergency motion in Parliament before the 15th General Election (GE15)," said Syed Saddiq.

“They also didn’t wait for debates or investigations on the LCS but instead said, if we win, we will throw those guilty into jail," he added.

Syed Saddiq then said that he never made such accusations, adding that he requested for due process and for the LCS issue to be debated in Parliament

Speaking at a press conference at Parliament on Monday (June 12), the Muar MP was responding to an AMK statement saying that he was shifting the goalposts on the LCS issue.

AMK had also suggested for the matter to be considered by the Unity Government Secretariat regarding Muda’s application to be part of Pakatan Harapan.

Syed Saddiq said it was not right for debates on the LCS issue to be silenced, again stressing that it was a matter of public interest.

“Initially, the project cost RM9 billion, then RM11 and now RM11.2 billion with the number of ships also reduced. Let’s be fair on this. The LCS issue was constantly raised before, during and after the elections,” he said.

In response to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul rejecting his motion to debate the LCS in Parliament on the basis that there was no clear reason on why the issue was of public interest or a pressing matter, Syed Saddiq said his initial letter to the Speaker contained specific points on the matter.

“My reasons were not broad topics like the economy or leakages but rather why the LCS was a matter of public interest,” he said.

He added that he was also not in the Dewan Rakyat when Johari spoke on this on Thursday (June 8) evening, as he was attending a Parliamentary Special Select Committee (Nation Building, Education and Human Resource Development) meeting.

On Thursday, Johari said the Muar MP’s statement that he rejected the motion to debate the littoral combat ship (LCS) issue was unfair.

"In paragraph four of my letter to Muar regarding his motion, it was clearly stated that the motion did not abide by Standing Order 18(7)(C) as I was informed that the Defence Ministry was required to present LCS progress reports to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) every three months until the project is completed.

"The PAC has also made the decision to conduct a site visit in Lumut, Perak and carry out further proceedings.

"Why can't we wait for the PAC reports before discussing it?" Johari told the Dewan Rakyat.