After the shelving of the RM1.67 billion 12 Cougar EC725 Eurocopter deal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the next project being deferred is the purchase of 21 police helicopters for the Royal Malaysian Police.
This was revealed by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Amirsham Aziz just before Parliament ended at 10 pm last night, after I had asked him during his winding-up speech on the 2009 budget what are the other projects which are being shelved because of the global financial crisis to enable the government to reallocate public expenditures.
The police request for 21 new helicopters was revealed by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan in August, as reported in the following report of Utusan Malaysia on 13th August 2008:
21 helikopter awasi perairan
LABUAN 12 Ogos – Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) akan menambah 21 buah helikopter bagi meningkatkan kecekapan operasinya terutama di dalam mengawasi perairan negara, kata Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
Menurut Musa, cadangan untuk membeli helikopter itu telah diluluskan oleh Kabinet baru-baru ini dan kerajaan akan memutuskan pembelian aset tersebut kemudian.
‘‘Pada masa ini kita (PDRM) mempunyai 12 buah helikopter dan jumlah itu tidak mencukupi memandangkan tugas pasukan semakin mencabar,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas acara menembak sempena lawatan wakil media ke Pulau Layang-layang, dekat sini hari ini.
When did the Cabinet approve the purchase of 21 helicopters for the Police, what were the allocations approved, the helicopters preferred and the procurement process decided upon before the project is shelved?
What are the other government mega-projects which have been shelved by the national economic executive council meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Oct. 13 “to prioritise spending to weather the current global financial crisis”?
Who are the members of the national economic executive council?