KUALA LUMPUR: The decision by Putrajaya to lease helicopters instead of purchasing them outright has sparked intense debate in Parliament over the past two days. The opposition has criticised the move as a financial misstep, while a government backbencher defended it.
On Wednesday (Feb 5), Chong Zhe Min (PH-Kampar) accused the opposition of making unfair comparisons regarding the helicopter leases. This was in response to claims made by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut) on Tuesday (Feb 4), who argued that leasing helicopters was costly.
Hamzah questioned the government's decision to lease 28 AugustaWestland 139 helicopters for 15 years at RM16.6bil, suggesting that purchasing them would have cost only RM3.954bil.
He also noted that Poland acquired 32 of the same AugustaWestland 139 helicopters (AW139) for just US$2bil, questioning the rationale behind the RM16.6bil rental agreement.
"Why is the government implementing a policy to lease helicopters at a very high price?" he asked during the debate on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat.
Hamzah added that when Perikatan Nasional was in power, the Home Ministry, under his leadership, rejected the helicopter rental plan as studies indicated purchasing was more economical.
On Nov 28, 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government had agreed to procure helicopters for security forces through leasing, citing increased transparency and reduced financial burden.
Anwar, who also serves as the Finance Minister, stated that leasing would facilitate transparent negotiations through government-to-government (G2G) agreements, eliminating the need for agents.
He emphasized that while some countries might buy helicopters at a lower price, the cumulative maintenance costs could exceed the initial purchase price over time.
On Wednesday, DAP's Chong compared the helicopter leasing to the government's vehicle leasing arrangements. He highlighted a previous decision made during the Perikatan Nasional administration to switch from a cheaper vehicle leasing contract to a more expensive one with Spanco.
"So, I challenge Larut (Hamzah) to make a fair comparison and prove that the government did not lease helicopters from the company offering a lower bid," he said.
