BEHIND-THE-SCENES manoeuvres in defence procurement are not a new thing. In the 1980s, the Defence Ministry purchased the lightly armed and fast-firing British Alvis Scorpion tank.
Unfortunately, its performance suffered when the recommended Rolls-Royce gasoline engine was exchanged for a slower diesel engine.
The worst part was that a .90mm gun was installed in the tank instead of the recommended .75mm gun. As a result, the tank suffered from low mobility and a decrease in firing performance.
It is a common practice around the world to classify military spending under the Official Secret Act.
However, this has led to the well-connected contractor and dishonest functionary engaging in hanky-panky.
Here are three reasons why the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal must not be taken lightly.
FIRST, Southeast Asia, with its porous and contested sea boundaries, is vulnerable to piracy and sea robbery. The pattern shows that piracy increases during a recession.
For instance, there was an upsurge in piracy during the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis and the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis.
Based on the 2021 report by the International Maritime Bureau-Piracy Reporting Centre, 57 cases were reported last year in Southeast Asia with three in the Straits of Malacca and Malaysian waterways.
Without adequate naval and maritime assets to combat them, the pirates will be very active during this period of global economic slowdown.
SECOND, transborder crimes by non-state actors are posing a threat to littoral states like Malaysia.
In Sabah, at least 10 districts were put under the Eastern Sabah Security Zone due to the constant threats of kidnapping and smuggling from militant and criminal groups. This not only affects the inhabitants of Sabah but also hurts the tourism industries in those areas.
THIRD, the LCS is essential to enhance naval capabilities in defending against threats in view of geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Malaysian waters are vulnerable to encroachment by foreign vessels.
On June 4 this year, the China Coast Guard was reported near Beting Patinggi Ali, 84 nautical miles off the coast of Miri. How are we going to fend them off with a partially completed LCS?
As a middle-power state, we can equip our armed forces to combat both foreign and internal challenges with just 1.1 per cent of gross domestic product allocated to military spending.
However, corruption in military dealings will thwart efforts to modernise defence assets.
I welcome Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's commitment to declassify the forensic report on the LCS project.
It will demystify this obsolete mega project and increase the people's confidence in his leadership.
As Malaysia celebrates its 65th year of independence, we must realise that corruption in military procurement will ultimately put Malaysia's sovereignty in danger. Therefore, the perpetrator (s) must be brought to trial.
The writer is a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Ethnic Studies
