PEKAN: Probably for the first time, the executive branch of government has asked a parliamentary oversight committee to probe the government purchase of 12 helicopters from Eurocopter to replace the aging Nuri.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the cabinet, at its weekly meeting last Friday, gave the green light to request the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to investigate the procurement of the 12 Cougar EC725 helicopters for the RMAF.
"I suggested the move and the cabinet has agreed to it."
The Eurocopter Cougar was one of four makes short listed by the air force. The other three were the Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland AW-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip.
Speaking to reporters here after hosting a Raya open house for his constituents yesterday, he said it was better for the PAC to inquire into the deal.
"The PAC can make its own conclusion of the purchase after studying the various issues involved in the deal."
The PAC would begin its inquiries despite Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah's assurances last week that the acquisition of the Eurocopter EC725s was in accordance with regulations.
Najib hoped that the PAC would start work quickly and get to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible.
Footnote by Candidman:-
The hasty decision of Najib, the former Minister of Defence, has inevitably drawn flaks from the public, for the general vox-pop opinions have found his decision more a dubious and inconsiderate of the present economics situation of the Nation! When the rakyat in general expect him to be a PM in waiting to look at the overall interests of the Nation, he still found it relevant to spend such an extravagant amount of resources for merely 12 units of Cougar flying machines at unbelievable star rates, which is suspected of a scheming contract aims at spill over milking of Umno warlords through exorbitant marked up! For this is not the first time and too often Najib has been popularly known as the proponent of such unruly tactics of corruption, with his Altantuya scandal won the award. He has yet to prove to the whole Malaysian nationals that his integrity was not at stake!
What other better reason than this, when we all know of our local expertise and technological know-how, that, we still need to rely on the advanced technology transfer in terms of hardware spare parts and skills to manoeuvre the more advanced helicopters. They will cost the Nation a bomb of maintenance and orientation training costs in times to flow! Shouldn't Najib thinks of the proper dispensing of national resources for more meaningful causes and welfare for the needy rakyat?!
When all other Nations are well geared to face the looming economics tsunami, more so anticipated to be atomic and disastrous than the 1997 financial crisis, can our PM in waiting afford to just take for granted and to take care of his only personal political ego and self-seeking agenda, without concerned of the rakyat's appeal, not heeding the voices of call for change of a more accountable, clean and innovative Administration should be in the making?! Can he then expect anything more than the ill public perception conceived of against his ever deceitful and scandalous image so far being demonstrated and portrayed?!
So far Malaysia is being unfortunate despite blessed by Nature to own natural resources in abundance, the Country is governed by a bunch of mediocre, politicking and corruptible political animals claimed to be indigenous to the native land. Others whose of better caliber either were suppressed or being forced to migrate and the outgoing brain drains are in the rate of increasing! Other Nations are benefiting from the fruits of hard groomed from the Malaysian soil!
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