Yesterday, the Star carried a letter by an ex-airman contending that “We don’t need the Eurocopter”.
He wrote:
“AS an ex-RMAF serviceman for 22 years, I believe I am qualified to comment on our government’s insistence on purchasing the Eurocopters. Worse still, without any physical tests.
“Buying the Eurocopter for use in Malaysia is like buying an F1 for use in Petaling Jaya; or a Rolls Royce for use in a remote kampung.
“This chopper is such a sophiscated machine, it is not meant for the normal role of a helicopter. I still see the Aloutte and Nuri (Sea King) in service in other countries.
“Eurocopter is more a combat helicopter. Who do we want to fight anyway? Why use it for search and rescue or during flood relief operations? Other choppers can do that just as well or even better!
“The Eurocopter is expensive. So are the training, spare-parts, servicing, accessories or role changes and armoury. Can we afford the subsequent costs of parts and modern armoury?
“You don’t buy such a sophisticated machine without evaluation. By first going through its built-in purpose, the subsequent cost of training for pilots and ground crews, availability and cost of spare parts, etc.
“Saying that the Alouettes and Nuris are old and obsolete is no justification for buying a machine that will not be fully utilised.
“Just buying the armoury to go with the machine will cost a bomb! Buying the Eurocopter just to show off is downright arrogant!”
As the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had concluded its “rush” inquiry into the RM1.6 billion Cougar EC725 Eurocopter helicopters, can the PAC Chairman Datuk Azmi Khalid answer the questions posed by this former RMAF personnel?
Of course, he is unable to do so, as the PAC inquiry led by Azmi was not to conduct an in-depth inquiry into all aspects of the helicopter deal, including whether the choice of the Cougar EC725 and the phasing out of the Nuris were valid and in the best interests of the RMAF personnel; the technical, offset and price differentials of the seven bidders as well as the propriety of the whole tender process, such as whether, how much and the who’s with regard to mega defence commissions for the helicopter deal.
As I made it clear in Parliament during the debate on the Prime Minister’s Department on Wednesday (Nov. 5, 2008), Azmi had brought disrepute and odium to the PAC in his “rush” to whitewash the Eurocopter deal to enable the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Rahman to claim in Parliament in his November 4 budget winding-up that the Eurocopter deal had been cleared by PAC.
This is most improper and irregular as the PAC has not submitted its report to Parliament – raising the question whether Azmi was serving PAC, Parliament or the Finance Minister.
This was why I called on Azmi to step down as PAC Chairman.
My exchange with Azmi in Parliament over his disgraceful role as PAC Chairman can be followed in this video clip.
Of course he would not be able to answer the questions posed by an ex-airman for his questions is like a huge rod stuck down his throat and if he were to try and answer it has to be thro his other end!!
But then say if we can accept all his ar–h-l- explanationsthen we have to ask him why (a)for the money we are prepared to pay for a unit of EC725 Eurocopter Brazil is able to buy 2and still has some remaining cash left (USD50 million for Malaysia but for Brazil it is USD23 million)
(b)Eurocopter EC725 costs more than India’s Sukhoi MKI, a 4.5 generation fighter which costs USD40 million per unit.
(c) Eurocopter EC725 costs just as much as Malaysia’s 4th generation fighter Sukhoi MKM (USD50 million
(d) Eurocopter 725 costs as much as Boeing737.
They plunder the country bare and dry till the rakyat have nothing to cling on to.
Well, this country is run by umno evil people who only interested to stealing wealth to enrich themselves and their cronies.
There are no future for Malaysian as long as umno exist.
What are making things worst here are , we keeping sending our children to work for umno and become their guarding dogs….
Look at those familes that send their children to join the police force , after the training , these children become a truly corrupted officer and cannot even understand the reason to serve the country. SAD ..
Parents are to be blamed as they turn a short-cut to enrich their children with umno policies.
They are the one that tainted their family names and pride and blamed them on their children . SAD ..
i was told about a month ago by my husband who works at subang airport for donkey years that the Nuri helicopters are just fine for our country. He also said why do we want to buy a COMBAT HELICOPTER???? See!!!! He said the Nuri helicopters are good enough as what our country needs is only a passenger chopper, not a COMBAT CHOPPER!!!! WHO ARE WE GONNA FIGHT??? THAT WAS HIS EXACT WORDS, MIND YOU!!!!! So, folks, shoot the stupid deal down for goodness sake!!!!
This, again is testimony to why we must have unqualified and incorruptible people to lead all functions of the government machinery.Else these people will continue to think that the Malaysian public fools. Remember the saying – ‘you can cheat someone some of the time but you can cheat everyone all the time.?
Syabas to LKS, joe public’s champion for decency and civic conciousness.
sorry I mean to say ‘qualified’
they are buying the air-wolf not eurocopter la…
I feel sorry for the Opposition. They are fighting an uphill battle. The govt. “owns” Parliament, the Speaker and his Deputy and select committees. Of course, the PAC would not delve in detail into the proposed procurement of the Eurocopters knowing full well it will only unearth dirt. The sprinkling of Opposition MPs on this Committee are just side dressing. The Speaker does not hesitate in reprimanding and punishing Opposition MPs for alleged misconduct but when a BN MP uses the word “bastard” he gets away scott free. Motions raised by the Opposition for debate are turned down by the Speaker. The only way forward is for the Opposition to grapple power away from BN. Only then will we see meaningful changes.
We do not need the Eurocopter. However, UMNO needs the money. Without the Eurocopter, how to get money ?
We take directly from public funds, you complain. Now we are trying to take indirectly, and you also complain. Susah lah, ini macam.
In the first place the head of the PAC must never be from the dominant party. It is common practice that the PAC be led by an Opposition MP, to ensure that checks & balances are adhered to.
Despite the mellifluous voice of Speaker Pandikar and the laudable self-control demonstrated by Azmi Khalid (who comes across as otherwise a gentlemanly chap, too bad he’s with Umno), it’s only too obvious that we can’t have a two-party system with Umno in the majority. They need at least a couple of terms playing the role of Opposition, then they might better understand what parliamentary democracy means.
“The only way forward is for the Opposition to grapple power away from BN. Only then will we see meaningful changes.” – Hue
Hue, you’re right.
My thoughts too.
It’s good for the opposition to screw them up.
But they are beyond screwing; the PR should topple them. That’s the only way to salvation.
Just look at those BN crooks trying to defend Najib’s puppet, Azmi.
Really degrade themselves in front of everybody. Come on, don’t just defend for the sake of defendinglah!
YB Lim Kit Siang, stop making up the strory please. An opinion from an ex-serviceman of RMAF is more credible than the opinion from the whole Ministry of Defence? This is a real joke! If the ex serviceman is so right in his opinion and so smart, why didn’t the government appoint him as the military chief or Deputy Minister of Defence? There are bound to be different opinions from people in this country. Some will agree while some, no matter what you say, will not (just like Mr Lik Kit Siang).
As long as it is in the benefit of the Rakyat as a whole and we know we are doing the right thing, we should do it. Buying such an advanced helicopter is a right move in line the the progress and development of the country. The technology of the world is evolving every day. People has been criticising the “out of date” model of military weapons Malaysia are using but when the government change it to some latest technology, it is being criticised again. Countries that buy advanced weapon does not necessarily mean they are going into wars. It is all about getting themselves ready if crisis really happen and it also warn other countries that we are ready so don’t try to bully us. Do you expect our pilots capable of learning how to fly such a helicopter overnight when crisis really happen to Malaysia? Can you predict what will happen tomorrow? Think again.
Having said that, I personally agree that it may not be at the right time as the country has to prepare to face the effect of the financial crisis. In the nutshell, the technology is getting advanced everyday and we should keep up with it and not moving backward. While nothing is wrong flying old model helicopters, Mr Lim should consider the risk of the the life of our pilots. There are enough of them who have sacrificed for the country in flying Nuri. Please use your head and think of the life of these pilots.
tis nut kasim,do we have to pay us50m each while others are paying us23m.or u can’t differenciate between RM ringgit and US doller,eh!
and furthermore don’t do a physical evaluation of it.is it your gfathers money?
This is what we call a misguided procurement due to lacking in professionalism and as you rightly said leadership below par. But what is more worrying is the possibility of mysterious invasion of immoral evils-both corruption and malfeasance.
The write up by the Ex-RMAF is definitely an eye opener. Reading the article, one might imagine that the decision making process of this procurement was haphazardly done with blatant disregard of proper defense capability needs.
With such a hush hush planning bypassing some procedures, don’t the RMAF and the Ministry assessed the impact of the employment of the helicopter? There are many unanswered questions. How does this super fantastic Couger fit into our defense strategy, the number itself is a magic figure maybe well thought of by the RMAF leadership? Or simply created for ……..!!!
YB Kit, there is a need to unravel the issue and to get to the bottom of it all. The way it was done, the rakyats may have very little thrust on the people entrusted to defend the nation. The story is not completely over. Obscure government policies and obscure government procurement may produce hidden future liabilities and it will prove a devastating burden. So we need to get rid of this irresponsible people without fear or favor.
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Kasim Amat Says:
Today at 21: 15.47 (2 hours ago)
YB Lim Kit Siang, stop making up the strory please. An opinion from an ex-serviceman of RMAF is more credible than the opinion from the whole Ministry of Defence? This is a real joke! If the ex serviceman is so right in his opinion and so smart, why didn’t the government appoint him as the military chief or Deputy Minister of Defence?
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by your way of reasoning, since you posses such high level reasoning abilty, you must be a lawyer or a judge, however, if you are neither any of them, then your reasoning cant be true.
— start quote —
As long as it is in the benefit of the Rakyat as a whole and we know we are doing the right thing, we should do it. Buying such an advanced helicopter is a right move in line the the progress and development of the country. The technology of the world is evolving every day. People has been criticising the “out of date” model of military weapons Malaysia are using but when the government change it to some latest technology, it is being criticised again.
— end quote —
agree that we need to upgrade our weapons in line with the rapid improving technology, however, buying it at about twice the price is totally another issue all together..
the whole issues regarding this is the lack of transparency in deal, rather than on whether we are buying helicopters or not. it can be helicopter, fighter jets or public buses or public road,
lack of transparency is the main issue
Kassim Amat,
We know you are an apologist for UMNO but to advance the type of arguments that you have you’ve got to be a nitwit for those arguments of yours will further advance the belief that this deal is yet another attempt to channel money into the pockets of UMNOPUTRAS!!
Kasim Amat has no intellectual capacity to debate with anyone. That’s why in our Ali Baba business, I confine him to lobbying the political side.
All Kasim Amat can say is that Bolehland is the best under UMNO. Without UMNO, we won’t have the twin towers, the high level of security, the tollroads, the IPPs, the state-of-the-art defence equipment such as (second-hand)submarines and fighter jets.
Can’t you guys be grateful ? We are soooooo much better than many African countries.
defend Najib..u get increment in pay….position…maybe rasuah…what the use serve the RAKYAT than the master itself…