KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry always prioritises the needs of end users when acquiring national assets, including those carried out through the government-to-government (G2G) mechanism. Deputy Minister Adly Zahari affirmed that the views and technical evaluations of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) service branches are consistently involved during the acquisition process, aligning with the Defence White Paper.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Adly stated, “In the Defence Ministry, users are involved from the start, and their assessment of assets is considered before acquisition. If the user does not approve the asset, it will not be accepted.” This approach ensures that the users are not influenced by any particular manufacturer or company, which could negatively impact their operations. Adly emphasised that users typically provide the specifications for the assets, highlighting the ministry’s commitment to user-centric procurement.
Earlier in the debate, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar) rais
ed concerns based on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report. He asserted that misconduct in the construction of the littoral combat ship (LCS), leading to the loss of billions of ringgit, stemmed from the government’s failure to adhere to the specifications set by the end user, the ATM. Instead, undue attention was given to complaints from contractors or concessionaires. Syed Saddiq proposed that the government should provide a written guarantee, endorsed by the Chief of Defence Force and the Army and Air Force Chiefs, ensuring that contracts, costing billions, reflect the requests and needs of the end user.
Meanwhile, Adly announced that a total of 31,000 non-pensionable ATM veterans have received the Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) aid thus far. Starting next year, BSH will involve an allocation of RM174 million, following an increase in aid from RM300 to RM500, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the tabling of Budget 2025 on October 18. “Our national defence system needs non-pensi
onable veterans, so our responsibility at the ministry level is to ensure that these veterans are given priority (in receiving BSH),” Adly added.
The Dewan Rakyat subsequently approved the estimated operating and development expenditure of RM21,128,702,300 allocated to the Defence Ministry in Budget 2025, with the majority of votes in favour after being debated by 13 Members of Parliament.