KUALA LUMPUR: Any delays in the construction of the Royal Malaysian Navy's littoral combat ship (LCS) are deemed unacceptable, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Therefore, he welcomed the demand from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the LCS construction contractor and project team to take proactive steps to address the issues related to the delays.
"The LCS construction contractor needs to take proactive measures to resolve issues related to the construction of the ship.
"Any delays in the construction of the LCS are unacceptable and need to be addressed seriously by all parties involved," he said.
Yesterday, PAC Chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, revealed the delays in the construction of the ship, which still requires careful and periodic monitoring, is surprising and concerning.
She said the progress of the LCS construction project was presented to the PAC in yesterday's proceedings, attended by the Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak; LCS chief project Admiral Franklin Jeyasekhar Joseph, and Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd chief Captain (R) Azhar Jumaat.
However, Mas Ermieyati said the duration of the shipbuilding delay could not be disclosed at the moment, following compliance with Standing Order 85 of the Dewan Rakyat.
Proceedings from yesterday will be presented in the Defence Ministry's Follow-Up Action Report on PAC's recommendations regarding LCS in the upcoming session of the Dewan Rakyat, starting Feb 26.
It was found that the last progress report on the development of the ship was presented and uploaded on the PAC's website on Nov 14 last year.
It pertains to the progress of the Royal Malaysian Navy's second-generation LCS patrol vessel for the period from June to September 2023.
Previously, the progress report of the second-generation LCS patrol vessel for the period from October 2022 to May 2023 was uploaded on Oct 9.
