Digest on Malaysian News

As expected, our Space Participant is now scott free. Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and the government has no gut whatsoever to take any action against his alleged wrong doing.

I have predicted this verdict in my previous post, Sheikh Muszaphar Sheikh Mustapha probe almost ended. The reason is simply (a kid from the Tadika can also understand it) because if the government punish our Space Participant, it will be like slapped one own's face. Abdullah Badawi, Najib and Ongkili wouldn't want to drop their water face punishing their sponsored space tourist.

In fact, this result was only announced today after the by-election in Kuala Terengganu. Should they announced it before the polling day, BN candidate would even lose heavily.




From TheStar

No action against angkasawan: Science Minister

By DHARMENDER SINGH

PUTRAJAYA: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will not be taking any action against angkasawan Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha over allegations that he had pocketed RM1.2mil from a series of talks.

Its minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili investigations into the allegations had concluded that the angkasawan had contravened a few clauses in his contract with the ministry.

He said the ministry had sent a show-cause letter to Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and he had explained that he gave the talks after office hours or while overseas, so his work at the ministry was in no way affected.

“He (Dr Sheikh Muszaphar) has provided his explanation to the queries in the letter including why he charged for the talks and we feel that it is acceptable, so there is no reason to take the matter any further,” he told reporters after launching the ministry’s logo here on Monday.

He said the investigations also revealed that although Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was paid for the talks he gave locally and overseas, the amount he was paid in no way amounted to over a million ringgit.

Ongkili also explained that there were certain “grey areas” in Dr Sheikh Muszaphar’s existing contract with the ministry and this was part of the reason it could not take any action.

He said the ministry’s lawyers would start working on a new contract after the Chinese New Year holidays and were expected to have it ready next month.

“The new contract will look into the weaknesses in the existing contract and address them accordingly.

“Dr Sheikh Muszaphar has expressed his wish to continue working with the ministry and in the programme but it will be up to him to decide whether to accept the new terms,” he said.

Speaking to reporters later Monday, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar said he will not make a decision on renewing his contract until he sees the new one the Ministry is drafting.

“There has been some miscommunications between me and the ministry.

“These would be the areas I would want to look into in the new contract,” he said at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport where he was joining a team of volunteers from Pemuda Masjid on their way to the Gaza Strip with aid for Palestinian victims.

malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

The probe on allegation against Malaysia Angkasawan Sheikh Muszaphar Sheikh Mustapha will be concluded in 2 weeks time, according to Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (STIM). The Angkasawan was said to have pocketed RM1.2mil from a series of talks (or money talks) and private appearance.

Judging from the tone of the press statement by STIM, the Angkasawan will probably be let off the hook. Why? There is no way for the government to slap in his own face. Penalizing the Angkasawan would only shame the government and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. I predicted that the case against Angkasawan will be dropped and Sheikh Muszaphar will be able to enjoyed his million. Malaysia Boleh.

From TheStar

Angkasawan probe to be finished in 2wks
By NG CHENG YEE

PUTRAJAYA: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry hopes to conclude its investigation into allegations against Angkasawan Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha within two weeks.

Its minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar had yet to give his statement on allegations that he had pocketed RM1.2mil from a series of talks, as he had just returned from overseas.

“The Deputy Minister is still fixing (a date) for the meeting. At the time being, all programmes will go on as usual,” he said.

He said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was currently attending witness programmes under his contract with the Government that required him to give lectures at schools and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as at international conferences.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar’s contract with the Government ended on Dec 31 last year.

The ministry would consider extending the annual contract based on the results of its investigation, Dr Maximus told reporters at a press conference after chairing the Malaysian Innovation Foundation’s first board of trustees’ meeting here on Monday.

“The ministry is very open in this matter and we will see whether he is willing to oblige to the terms of the contract and whether the new terms are acceptable to him,” he said.

When asked whether the contract would affect the extension of the contract, Dr Maximus said: “Of course, we will see how serious the matter is and he (Dr Sheikh Muszaphar) would have to answer a few questions.

“If we are satisfied with the answers, we will look at them and make a decision.”

malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

A committee set up by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will start investigating allegations that Angkasawan Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha has received payment for giving talks.

Deputy Minister Fadillah Yusof said the probe would start tomorrow.

It was earlier reported that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar had become RM1.2mil richer from charging RM8,000 per hour to share his experience (as a space flight participant) on the International Space Station.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor has since denied the allegations.

Related post:
* Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha money talks
* Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor's blog

From TheStar

Panel to investigate payments to Angkasawan for giving talks
By LESTER KONG

PETALING JAYA: A committee set up by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will start investigating allegations that Angkasawan Datuk Dr Sheikh Musza-phar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha has received payment for giving talks.

Deputy Minister Fadillah Yusof said the probe would start tomorrow.

It was earlier reported that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar had become RM1.2mil richer from charging RM8,000 per hour to share his experience on the International Space Station.

He has since denied the allegations. Fadillah, when contacted, said the results of the probe would be submitted to the minister by the first week of next month.

He said the ministry had received complaints and reports from the public that alleged that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar had been charging for his talks.

On whether it was proper for the astronaut to charge RM8,000 per hour for talks, Fadillah said the committee had to look into the terms of his contract and the Public Service Department rules as he was still a civil servant.

“There are rules and regulations pertaining to the funds he has charged as well as token payments he received. They are two different things.”

Fadillah urged the public to substantiate their complaints with evidence.

These included receipts, invoices or any documents or correspondence related to any event attended by Dr Sheikh Mus­zaphar.

He said the committee would dismiss the complaints in the absence of proof.
---------------------------------------------------------
From Bernama

Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar's Family Sad Over "RM1.2 Million" Newspaper Report

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- The family of astronaut Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha is sad and disappointed over a newspaper report that he has amassed RM1.2 million from giving talks since last year.

His brother Sheikh Taufik Shukor Al Masrie said the family regretted that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's untiring efforts to share his aerospace experience with the young generation was manipulated by certain people.

"We did not ask for any credit be given to him, just sad that he had been treated this way," he told Bernama in an exclusive interview here Monday.

Sheikh Taufik described the report as a "grave tragedy" as it was reported by a newspaper belonging to an opposition party that claimed to uphold Islam.

"They do not give a hoot to our aerospace venture, unlike other Muslim countries that were proud of his (Dr Sheikh Muszaphar) achievement. I do not understand why they want to destroy our future."

Sheikh Taufik said the claim that his brother received RM8,000 per hour for giving talks was not true at all.

He did not deny that many people had acted as middlemen or third parties to arrange for the astronaut to deliver talks or just to motivate people.

"Schools normally come directly to me or my brother and no money is involved. However, for non-governmental organisations and the private sector, there are many middlemen who manipulate the situation.

"This can give rise to things that may lead to such claims," he said when commenting when a report by an opposition newspaper that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar charged RM8,000 per hour for talks.

The report said the astronaut had amassed RM1.2 million from 150 corporations since his return from the International Space Station (ISS) in Oct last year.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar on Sunday denied that he had had asked for specific amounts to deliver talks on his aerospace experience.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili had said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar and Major Dr Faiz Khaleed were contracted to the ministry until Dec 31 and thus could not charge for giving talks.

His deputy Fadillah Yusof was reported as saying the ministry would investigate the report.

Sheikh Taufik said he had wanted to reply to the report but was advised against it as it would be a waste of time.

"Their job is to pit one person against another and to rundown the government," he added.

On Dr Sheikh Muszaphar's reaction, he said although the astronaut was disappointed, it was nothing compared to what he had to go through before becoming an astronaut.

"My brother was calm and said the truth will prevail."

He said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar received many invitations but were careful as he did not want to be seen as a celebrity but an educator.

Meanwhile, his father Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor denied those who attended his talks were forced to buy the book "My Journey To Space" that related his experience during training and when at the ISS.

"I hope the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will defend my son now that he can be considered a son of the state," he added.

-- BERNAMA


malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

A contradicting revelation from a famous figure (personality), Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha the Malaysian Angkasawan (NASA called it space participant) who admit accepting contributions (may include money) but denied allegation on accepting payment during his talk to corporate companies.

Bottom line is that money contributions and money payment is still money.

Related posts:
* Sending another space flight participant for vacation
* Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor report going to the Cabinet

From TheStar

Angkasawan admits accepting contributions, denies demanding payment

KUALA LUMPUR: Angkasawan Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha has admitted to accepting contributions when giving talks.

However, he denied that he had received, among others, RM8,000 an hour for giving talks.

He said it was the norm for him to give talks in schools for free.

A news portal recently alleged that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar could have earned up to RM1.2mil, as he had charged RM8,000 for one-hour talks to 150 corporate companies.

“I hope we can resolve this unfortunate incident (allegations) because its negative impact would affect my ability to continue giving talks to schools in the country,” he said.

“I have spoken to Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Fadilah Yusof and given a detailed explanation, and he was happy and satisfied with my explanation,” he told reporters after flagging off and taking part in the Sixth Batik Fun Walk 2008 here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Penyayang chairman Nori Abdullah, who organised the walk, was satisfied with the number of participants, especially since some of the proceeds would be donated to the Penyayang Pesakit Kanser charity.

“I am happy with the number of participants taking part this year, which is about 1,200. This is double the number we had last year.

“It is also heartening to know that these participants will help make life a little easier for cancer patients,” she said.

Her husband, Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, was also a participant in the event. — Bernama

malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

The RM2.3 billion Eurocopters sale contract must be probe by Public Accounts Committee (PAC), suggests Lim Kit Siang, MP of Ipoh Timur and supremo of DAP.

The simple logic behind it is that, if PAC did not investigate the billion Ringgit deal with an excuse that the government has canceled the deal, it will look like another scandalous mega-project being swept under the BN's corruption carpet.

To date, Azmi Khalid the chairman of PAC has yet to submit an adequate response to the status of the inquiries on the investigations into the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone and the Middle Ring Road II.

Related posts:
* RM88 Million dumped into the swamp

From MalaysiaInsider: DAP insists PAC continue probing Eurocopter deal

By Shannon Teoh

PETALING JAYA, Oct 27 - Despite the government shelving the Eurocopter deal, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang today insisted that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should continue investigating the proposed RM2.3 billion defence contract for procurement irregularities.

The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that Malaysia will cancel buying 12 Eurocopter EC725 military helicopters due to the bleak world economic outlook. The PAC announced last week it will meet over the deal when parliament reconvenes this Wednesday.

"Even if the helicopter deal is cancelled, PAC is duty-bound to investigate into the highly dubious and controversial procurement process as it runs counter to all principles of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance," said Lim, who is DAP parliamentary leader, in a statement today.
The veteran opposition leader said the PAC investigations should be "to identify, if there exist, irregularities or oversights and should such faults be discovered, to recommend the adherence of standard procedures or benchmarking for future tender exercise".

National news agency Bernama reported yesterday evening that "in the wake of the global economic crisis, the government will have to discuss further whether to go ahead with the purchase of new helicopters to replace the ageing Nuris in the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)".

The Defence Ministry had earlier announced it would sign a letter of intent for the dozen military helicopters, to be used for combat and also search and rescue missions apart from troop transport, to replace the Nuris that have been in service since 1968. The RMAF has about 30 Nuris left after suffering 18 crashes that killed 95 servicemen since the aircraft entered service.

Lim said any eventual PAC report should provide answers to several questions, including the reasons for the bid price ballooning from 233,345,390 euros or RM1.1 billion to RM2.3 billion. "Has the other half, RM1.2 billion, allocated to middlemen for maintenance service over the next 40 years?" he asked.

He also questioned the rationale for Malaysia paying over twice the price for the EC725 helicopters as compared to Brazil, which is reportedly getting 50 EC725 helicopters at RM84 million per aircraft compared to the RM193 million price tag for the RM2.3 billion Eurocopter deal.

"Shouldn't Malaysia be getting over 100 EC725 helicopters at the Brazilian price instead of just 12?"

The Ipoh Timur MP also added that the Eurocopter inquiry was a test of the PAC's "performance, efficacy and usefulness."

"On record, has PAC done anything to prevent consummation of scandal tainted mega-deals or has its investigations so far brought anyone especially the big-wigs to account?"

He cited the investigations into the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone and the Middle Ring Road II as examples and called on PAC chairman Datuk Azmi Khalid to give an adeqaute response to the status of these inquiries.


malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

There is a rife speculation that the Eurocopters helicopters deal might be canceled by the government after a series of pressure from the opposition groups in addition to the falling global economy. Malaysia is not spare in the current economic downturn (even though the government has lied though its teeth saying that our economy is okay).

Police reports have been made by certain quarters who suspected that the RM2.3 Billion Eurocopters deals are not procured properly and the hasty decision by the government to award the helicopters. Now, the government admitted that there might not be enough money (...to squander?) for the new helicopters. Or another way to look at it is: the deal have been so highly scrutinized that it's not worth the abundance of 'commission' money - the premiership is far more important.

What the government should be looking for is a troop-carrier helicopter capable of transporting troops and for search and rescue mission, not combat helicopters. After all, there is a very remote possibility of Malaysia attacking Thailand, Singapore or Indonesia with attack helicopters.

From The MalaysianInsider: Malaysia ditches Eurocopters on gloomy economic outlook

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 - Malaysia will ditch the RM2.3 billion Eurocopter defence deal as it battens down to face the global economic storm, sources said today.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri NajibAbdul Razak decided to cut out the EC725 military helicopter contract over the weekend when the government reviewed its expenses in light of falling revenues from crude oil and palm oil and slowing economic growth for the next few years.

"The Eurocopter deal is off due to the bleak economic times ahead," a source told The Malaysian Insider.Opposition leaders and critics had savaged the purchase of the dozen EC725 helicopters, saying its RM193 million price tag per aircraft was more than double of Brazil's contract for 50 EC725 helicopters, which came tom RM84 million per aircraft. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said it will investigate the deal.

Prime Minister and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had earlier said he will investigate claims of irregularities over the purchase of military helicopters after company representing a rival military chopper, the Kazan MI-172, said it offered to sell a dozen helicopters at RM898 million, RM1.5 billion less than the Eurocopter deal.

But the Kazan MI-172 is expected to be phased out of production soon although it shares similarities with the current Nuri helicopter fleet, particularly its rear ramp door that is used for troop and material transport.

Opposition parties had also lodged reports with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) asking for investigations as the tender was allegedly awarded before evaluations were completed and two days before Najib swapped the defence portfolio with Abdullah.

The government earlier through a Cabinet meeting on July 18, 2007 had made the decision to acquire new helicopters to replace the Nuri aircraft following a series of crashes for the ageing transport' helicopters in the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

The Nuri or Sikorsky S-61A-4 came into Malaysian service in 1968. The medium transport aircraft has suffered 18 crashes and killed 95 servicemen and is due to be phased out in 2012. There reportedly only 31 left in RMAF service.

However, sources said the Nuris would have been pressed into service with the Army Air Wing if the EC725s arrived on time. The Eurocopter EC725 or Cougar is a medium lift helicopter that is used for combat search and rescue missions.

The Cougar, which can carry up to 29 soldiers, beat out the Sikorsky H-92, the AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin, the Boeing CH-47F and the Russian MI-172 in an open international tender issued at the Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show in December 2007.

Sources said Eurocopter won the deal as it also proposed to invest RM250 million to upgrade Malaysia's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capacity in its Subang facility as part of its tender.It has already invested about RM45 million in Malaysia and had plans to spend anotherRM20 million this year to expand its Subang facility as well as MRO facilities in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Apart from the Nuris, the RMAF operates the A109 light utility helicopters and Super Pumas for VIP service.

malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

Lim Kit Siang, MP of Ipoh Timur call upon the government to suspend the Eurocopter deal until after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has completed their investigation. The RM2.3 billion Eurocopter deal is among one of the highest government contract alleged to be irregular.

PAC has set a two-day hearing from Oct 29 to 30 and most are doubtful that the two days is sufficient for PAC to absorb all the information to make a proper decision on their finding.

From TheStar

Copter deal should wait for Parliament clearance

PETALING JAYA: The Govern­ment should not approve the purchase of helicopters from Euro­copter if the deal is not approved after the investigation by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Parliament, Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang said.

He said the RM2.3bil deal should be suspended as it would be contempt of Parliament for the Defence Ministry to proceed without waiting for the outcome of the investigation.

“It is no exaggeration to say that this will be the most important investigation in PAC history as a major government contract will hinge on the report of the PAC,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Lim said it would also be nonsense for the PAC to depend solely on the technical and expert advice of ministry and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) officials.

“PAC must have independent and professional advice from people knowledgeable and have working experience in the aviation industry.”

Lim said the PAC should also call up representatives from the seven tender bidders.

He also said he was doubtful that a two-day hearing - on Oct 29 and 30 - was enough, considering the amount of data the PAC would have to scrutinise.


malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

Prasun K Sengupta wrote to MalaysiaKini and explained in detailed the reasoning of why the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) choose Eurocopter EC-725 Cougar helicopters in replacement for the current fleet of aging Sikorsky S-61A-4 helicopters (the Nuri).

Some of Prasun's explanation did make sense to counter the allegation of the Eurocopter procurement scandal (including the involvement of Kamaludin Abdullah in the deal) and Prasun's points are way better that those press statement given by Najib or even the Prime Minister himself. Before this Mindef's explanation is lame and generate more questions.

From MalaysiaKini: Copter deal: Conspiracy theorists fail to convince
Prasun K Sengupta | Oct 20, 08 4:07pm

This has reference to the on-going ‘controversy’ regarding Mindef’s selection of the Eads/ Eurocopter-built EC-725 Cougar Mk2+ medium-lift air-mobility helicopter as the eventual replacement for the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) existing Sikorsky S-61A-4 helicopters.

While allegations are abounding regarding Mindef’s competitive selection process, the following issues - especially those not yet raised by some of the bidders that have lost out to the EC-725 – have to be looked upon objectively:

1. The Mi-17V-5 was first brought to Malaysia by Russia’s Rosoboronexport State Corp during the Lima 2001 exhibition and was extensively flight-tested after the exhibition by the RMAF. The HH-92 Superhawk’s prototype from Sikorsky was demonstrated to a visiting RMAF team in the US more than a year ago, and this included flight-testing as well.

The EC-725, too, was flight-tested and evaluated by the RMAF when the helicopter was brought to Malaysia during the Lima 2007 exhibition in Langkawi early last December. Therefore, for some to claim that the RMAF and the Mindef tender evaluation board did away with the practice of flight-testing the principal contenders of the contract is fallacious and wrong.

2. The Mi-17 will begin being phased out of service over the next five years by the Russian military end-users. That is why a competition is now underway within Russia between Kamov OKB (offering the Ka-92) and Mil Design Bureau (offering the Mi-38) for supplying the next-generation medium-lift helicopter to fulfill domestic Russian requirements.

If the RMAF were to select either the Mi-17V-5 or Mi-172KF, while its initial procurement costs would be much lower, their through-life product support costs would be three times more than the figures quoted for helicopters like the EC-725, AgustaWestland’s AW101 and Sikorsky's HH-92 Superhawk.

This is because the RMAF will find it cost-prohibitive to maintain the airworthiness and serviceability of the Mi-17 once Russia stops producing spares for this helicopter over the next 10 years.

3. For the RMAF tender competition, there were two offers of the Mi-17: the Mi-17V-5 from Russia’s Rosoboronexport State Corp, and the Mi-172KF being offered by Mentari Services Sdn Bhd.

Interestingly, if either of the two parties were to win the contract, then they both would be sourcing the Mi-17s from the same OEM, ie, Kazan Helicopter Plant, based in Russia’s Tatarstan republic.

And when it comes to military procurement from abroad, the customer (Mindef, in this case) universally requires guaranteed through-life product support from the OEM. Consequently, if Mindef were to select the Mi-17 then the following questions would have required convincing answers:

a. While the Russian government would have given product support guarantees through its official weapons import/export agency Rosoboronexport for the Mi-17V-5, would the same guarantees be extended for the offer for the Mi-172KF?

b. If not, then who would guarantee through-life product support for the Mi-172KF? Mentari? Or its principal - the Canada-based Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd - or the helicopter manufacturer - Kazan Helicopter Plant - from whom Kelowna was offering to source the Mi-172KF airframes?

Who would assume product liabilities in the event of a Mi-172KF accident-related board of inquiry establishing that the accident/crash was due to technical error? What if Rosoboronexport State Corp prevented Kazan Helicopter Plant from cooperating with the RMAF during such accident/crash investigations?

c. Did the Russian government, through Rosoboronexport, authorise either Kazan Helicopter Plant or Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd to supply the fully militarised (ie, weapons-equipped) Mi-172KF to Malaysia?

This question needs to be answered in detail because as per present Russian government guidelines, only Rosoboronexport State Corp is authorised to export Russian-origin weapon systems directly to foreign military customers after inking government-to-government contracts.

d. How many Mi-172KFs have been sold to date by the joint industrial venture between Kazan Helicopter Plant and Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd to military customers (not for VIP transportation, but for undertaking air-mobility operations under combat conditions) worldwide?

Which authority has issued the Milspec-compliant certificate of airworthiness of the Mi-172KF’s military variant? Will the Mi-172KF have additional built-in performance growth features, such as the incorporation of fly-by-wire flight control systems and in-flight refuelling systems, which will most likely have to be mandatory on-board systems especially since the helicopter would be required by the RMAF to remain operationally viable for the next 40 years?

Regrettably, the ‘naysayers’ and conspiracy theorists alleging irregularities in the EC-725’s selection process have yet to give rational and convincing clarifications regarding the four above-mentioned points.

4) Today, it only makes sense for countries like China and India to continue buying Mi-17s in large numbers because only these two countries have had more than 30 years of experience operating the Mi-8Ts and Mi-17s and have therefore established the huge domestic MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) infrastructure required to maintain and operate such helicopters.

This is not the case with Malaysia, which requires either the helicopter OEM to set up extensive, brand-new MRO infrastructure to support a new helicopter-type, or upgrade existing MRO infrastructure at tremendous cost to service the new helicopter acquisitions.

5. As a consequence of the above, only Eurocopter (an Eads subsidiary) can be said to have comprehensively complied with the RMAF's helicopter-related MRO demands (which played a pivotal role in tilting the balance in favour of the EC-725’s competitive bid) since only Eurocopter has to date made unilateral and substantial investments in its own sprawling helicopter MRO facility in Subang (which Sikorsky, AgustaWestland and the Russians are not known to have done thus far) since 1998.

Such facilities, which will undoubtedly expand their capabilities as the EC-725s are inducted progressively, will enable the RMAF to fully localise the EC-725’s serviceability requirements, and ensure high availability and levels for its initial EC-725 fleet, which will undoubtedly be subject to intensive usage in the early years due to the demands of both operational conversion flying training as well as operational flying.

One must also bear in mind that such MRO facilities will be fully authorised and certified by the OEM (Eurocopter) and as such will not be exposed to the third-party MRO liabilities of the type that has plagued the RMAF's dwindling S-61A-4 'Nuri' helicopter fleet.

No one thus far, including Mentari or AgustaWestland or Sikorsky, has officially bothered to explain how much the through-life product support costs of the Mi-172KF or AW101 or HH-92 Superhawk would be if these entities were to establish in-country dedicated MRO facilities.

Only if such expenditure figures are forthcoming from them would one be able to make accurate cost comparisons with the Eurocopter/EC-725 tender bid. Until then it remains a case of simplistic comparison of apples with oranges.

6. As a result of the above, when viewed from a techno-economic matrix, it was Eurocopter that ‘almost fully’ complied with the ASQRs of the RMAF while at the same time offering guaranteed through-life product support for the EC-725. The EC-725 of the type selected for the RMAF is presently operational with the armed forces of France and Saudi Arabia and has already been combat-proven in Afghanistan.

The AW101 comes in a close second as a combat-proven helicopter (which was recently selected by India for VVIP transportation), but the problem here was that the RMAF would have had to allocate substantial scare financial resources for setting up dedicated MRO facilities from scratch to support the AW101 fleet.

Sikorsky’s HH-92 Superhawk is estimated to have come in with the third-best offer but militarily this helicopter is still an untested product since it has yet to be ordered in bulk by any armed forces worldwide.

In conclusion, it would do well to the ‘naysayers’ to view the entire issue through the prism of objectivity prior to making ill-informed conclusions based merely on speculative accusations of some ‘sore losers’.

malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

The Ministry of Defense (MOD | Mindef) has clarified the recent Eurocopter deal as being reasonable and executed with proper procedures.

The MOD also highlighted that the tendered prices from Eurocopter is RM1.1 billion instead of the RM2.3 billion (scandal) as alleged by the opposition party. I think the RM1.1 billion price tag is meant is for the basic specification. This announcement will fix the confusion of the price tendered by Eurocopter.

Initially, MalaysiaKini reported that there are four manufacturers participating in the MOD tender, namely, 1) Eurocopter, 2) Kelowna, 3) Sikorsky and 4) Agusta Westland. But, MOD also reported that there are 7 tenders submitted.

Moving on, most observers have the opinion that the procedures of inking the Letter Of Intent (to Eurocopter) is subjective as some party claimed that the document was signed by "junior" officers in the MOD. The people was definitely not happy that a junior officer signed document related to billion ringgit contract.

Secondly, some party raised up the issue of the LOI being hastily sealed without completing the full evaluation process including undergoing free trial (flight test and orientation). The LOI was signed by a mid-ranking official in the ministry and was dated Sept 15 - two days before Najib moved from the Defence Ministry to the Finance Ministry.

We all agreed that the Nuri helicopters are over-aged and overdue for replacement. But the government must be spending prudently and consider the gloomy financial situation today. In addition, we are not going to war, we need helicopters for search and rescue as well as for troops transportation. Eurocopter may have the highest specification but too costly for our current requirement.

More reading:
* Added Oct 21: Why RMAF choose Eurocopter
* Eurocopter!? | Letter from local agent for Kelowna (one of the tenderer for the helicopters - from MalaysiaToday
* Eurocopter Scandal?? - by Anak Bangsa Malaysia
* The Cougar, Why? - From MalaysiaDefence

From The Star

Mindef explains Eurocopter purchase
By ROYCE CHEAH

PETALING JAYA: The decision to procure helicopters from Eurocopter was done following proper procedures and was not influenced by anyone, Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah said.

In a statement issued Friday, Abu Bakar said the ministry chose the Eurocopter EC725 because the company had a complete tender offer that obtained the highest marks based on technical evaluation, an offset package while also being at a reasonable price.

“Eurocopter also offered a system that was proven which also fulfilled the army’s specifications,” he said, adding that the Government had no influence on prices that were offered by the company as bidding was done via an international open tender process.

Abu Bakar said the move to replace the Nuri helicopters started when a few Members of Parliament and the public voiced their concern about the performance of the helicopter.

“As a result, the Cabinet made a decision on July 18, 2007 to procure helicopters to replace the Nuri.”

Abu Bakar said the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) then prepared specification documents for utility helicopters capable of search and rescue that were also capable of being upgraded to combat search and rescue aircraft.

Abu Bakar said on Oct 10, 2007, the Economic Planning Unit approved the decision to buy new helicopters and an international open tender was announced on Nov 7 that year.

“To make it easier for prospective suppliers to put forth their offers, the RMAF held a briefing for them during the Langkawi International Maritime Airshow on Dec 6 and also explained to them that it was important for suppliers to include an offset package.”

Abu Bakar said the tender was closed on Feb 12 this year and at noon the same day the tender committee opened the seven tenders that were received while being witnessed by representatives from companies that had taken part.

The tender offers received were as such:

T521/07/A/001 - £341.88mil (RM2.08bil);
T521/07/A/002 - RM663.1mil;
T521/07/A/003 - €104.6mil (RM494.9mil);
T521/07/A/004 - US$220.5mil (RM777.45mil);
T521/07/A/005 - US$708.3mil; (RM2.49bil);
T521/07/A/006 (Eurocopter) - €233.24mil (RM1.1bil);
T521/07/A/007 - US$348.17mil (RM1.22bil).

“The documents were then split up into three parts for the technical evaluation committee, offset evaluation committee and price evaluation committee to evaluate,” Abu Bakar said.

He said the committees conclusions were tabled at a Tender Board meeting on July 22 and was then forwarded to the Finance Ministry on August 4 and the Defence Ministry received the green light on Sept 3.

“The letter of intention could have been issued at any time after Sept 3 and it was a coincidence that it was issued on Sept 15,” he said.

Abu Bakar said that the RMAF is always up to date with the developments in helicopter technology as its officers attend international expos while RMAF also has complete data and knowledge about the helicopters in the market.

“As such, a physical evaluation of how to operate the helicopters does not need to be done at the facility until it is brought to be discussed by the Tender Board.”

malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

Malaysia mass media and blogs are buzzed with the latest fiasco, i.e. the alleged RM2.3 Billion Eurocopter scandal that the opposition group claimed that the deal lacks accountability and integrity.

Abdullah should be aware that his first act as Defence Minister, announcing that the Defence Ministry has agreed to acquire new helicopters from European helicopter manufacturers, Eurocopter, to replace the Nuri has been immediately dogged by integrity and transparency questions – in particular, the allegation about the involvement of his son Kamaluddin in the Eurocopter deal. ~~ LimKitSiang.

The Eurocopter Cougar EC725 was one of four aircraft shortlisted by RMAF to replacing the aging Nuri helicopters. The other three were the Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip.

Some party claimed that Eurocopter Cougar EC725 is a 40-year old aircraft, certified in the 60s and 70s but has been redeveloped and refitted all these while and given a new name or model (variants).

Technically, the Eurocopter Cougar EC725 (first flight in 2000) was developed from a previous model called Eurocopter AS 532 (1977). Eurocopter AS 532 itself was developed from Eurocopter Super Puma (1978). Eurocopter Super Puma was developed from Aérospatiale Puma (1968). The year in bracket denotes year of introduction of that particular model.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today decided to discuss the controversy surrounding the tender process for the procurement of new helicopters for the armed forces at its next meeting. - MalaysiaKini.

UPDATES:
* Oct 27, 2008: RM2.3 billion Eurocopters contract must be probe
* Oct 26, 2008: Eurocopters deal canceled
* Oct 26, 2008: Call to suspend Eurocopter deal
* Oct 21, 2008: Why RMAF choose Eurocopter
* Oct 18, 2008: Mindef explains Eurocopter deal but questions remained

LimKitSiang: Why Eurocopter’s Cougar has been selected to replace Nuri

The Prime Minister-cum-Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should set an example of integrity and transparency by making public the details of the shortlisted bids for the four aircrafts to replace the RMAF Nuri helicopters and the reason why Eurocopter’s Cougar EC725 has been selected.

It is a sad commentary on the failure of Abdullah’s National Integrity Plan that Malaysia’s latest ranking on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index has plunged 10 places in his five years as Prime Minister from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 47 in 2008 and a deepening crisis of confidence about integrity and transparency.

Abdullah should be aware that his first act as Defence Minister, announcing that the Defence Ministry has agreed to acquire new helicopters from European helicopter manufacturers, Eurocopter, to replace the Nuri has been immediately dogged by integrity and transparency questions – in particular, the allegation about the involvement of his son Kamaluddin Abdullah in the Eurocopter deal.

It is for this reason that Abdullah should make public the details of the shortlisted bids by the four aircrafts to replace the RMAF Nuri helicopters and the reason why Eurocopter’s Cougar EC725 has been selected.

If no full explanation is forthcoming from Abdullah, I will be raising this issue in Parliament when it reconvenes on October 13.

The Eurocopter Cougar EC725 was one of four aircraft shortlisted by RMAF. The other three were the Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip.

It has been reported that the government had allocated US$600 million (RM1.93 billion) to buy an initial fleet of 12 helicopters, which will be in service until 2050.
---------------------------------

LimKitSiang: The RM2.3 billion Eurocopter fiasco - suspend Letter of Intent

The first thing Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did as Defence Minister was to announce on 26th September that the Defence Ministry has agreed to acquire new helicopters from European helicopter manufacturer, the Eurocopter, to replace the Nuri.

This RM2 billion deal lacks accountability and integrity.

Four helicopters had been “short-listed” by the Ministry of Defence to replace the fleet of Sikorsky S61-A4 Sea Kings better known as the Nuri.

The four are the Eurocopter Cougar EC725, Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip.

However, Abdullah shocked everyone with his announcement as the “short-listing” had not been completed and the pricing of the EC725 is not competitive compared with the other helicopters.

The pricing offered by the “short-listed” helicopters are:

Eurocopter Cougar EC 725 – Euro 463.44 juta (RM2.317 billion);
Sikorsky - US$427.20 juta (RM1.45 billion)
Canadian Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd. Model Kazan MI-172 buatan Russia
- US$312 juta (RM1.061 billion)

This means that there is a difference of RM1.256 billion between Eurocopter Cougar EC 725 with the lowest bidder, the Kazan MI-172 KF – in other words, with US$600 million the Royal Malaysian Air Force can buy 26 units of Kazan helicopters and not just 12 Cougar helicopters.

In his speech yesterday, the Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim referred to the complaint by the Chairman of Mentari Services Sdn. Bhd. Kapt (B) Dato’ Zahar Hashim about the irregularity of the Eurocopter decision, and this is not just confined to the Kelowna Flightcraft Limited, Canada which submitted the bid for the Russian helicopter but also the other “short-listed” bidders as well, viz:

• Proses penilaian belum selesai tetapi dengan secara tiba-tiba arahan diberi oleh pihak tertentu supaya Letter of Intent (LOI) dikeluarkan kepada Eurocopter. LOI tersebut ditandatangan oleh seorang pegawai paras menengah di Kementerian Pertahanan dan bertarikh 15th Septmber 2008 iaitu dua hari sebelum Datuk Seri Najib Razak berpindah dari Kementerian Pertahanan ke Kementerian Kewangan.

• Kerja yang sudah selesai adalah penelitian dokumen-dokumen tender yang dikemukakan oleh penender-penender. Penilaian fizikal iaitu memeriksa permis dan kilang penender-penender dan melakukan penerbangan ujian (test flights) belum dilakukan oleh kerana kebenaran dari pihak atasan di Kementerian Pertahanan dan Kementerian Kewangan untuk berbuat demikian belum diperolehi. Sewajarnya, penilaian fizikal adalah lebih mustahak dari penilaian dokumen-dokumen (documentary evaluation) dan anggota-anggota yang terlibat berasa hairan apabila mengetahui bahawa LOI telah dikeluarkan sebelum penilaian fizikal dilakukan.

• Proses pengeluaran LOI kepada Eurocopter agak luar biasa dan bertentangan dengan prosedur yang telah diamalkan selama ini. Biasanya LOI dikeluarkan setelah proses penilaian secara menyeluruh selesai dan sebuah jawatankuasa yang dianggotai oleh wakil-wakil dari Kementerian Kewangan dan Kementerian Pertahanan capai kata sepakat tentang produk yang terbaik bersesuaian dengan belanjawan yang telah diperuntukkan. Mereka turut berpendapat bahawa adalah menakjubkan bahawa LOI bagi kontrak yang bernilai melebihi Dua Bilion Ringgit ditandatangan oleh seorang pegawai Kerajaan bertaraf Setiausaha Bahagian dan bukan seorang yang bertaraf sekurang-kurangnya Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha.

The following are therefore the issues and questions:-

• Technical evaluation process did not follow standard international practice and was not transparent.

• Short-listing of the aircraft not as normally practiced in such tender process.

• What is the criteria for evaluating these aircraft. Is it following standard evaluation process in technical terms. Has it carried out any flight evaluation of all the aircraft.

There have been cases where manufacturers have not been able to prove what they have written in paper when flight test was carried out. There has also been instances where the manufacturers had used a different and higher performance aircraft than was specified in the written technical paper during flight test. This is why it is VERY important that a flight test valuation is carried out to ensure they comply with the specs given in the written documents.

I understand that the EC725 selected is a 40-year old aircraft, certified in the 60s and 70s. It has been modified and upgraded all these while and given a new name and term. Can this EC 725 be guaranteed to last another 40 more years with all the modifications and upgrading anticipated?

If RMAF is buying this 40-yr old aircraft, then it might as well keep the Nuris, modify and upgrade them now. It will cost only a fraction of a new aircraft, especially taking into account the Sikorsky offer had reported by Berita Minggu of 1st June 2008, viz:

Syarikat pengeluar helikopter terkemuka dunia, Sikorsky Aircroft Corporation (Sikorsky) membuat tawaran kepada Kementerian Pertahanan untuk membeli kembali 29 helikopter Nuri atau Sikorsky S-61-A4 Sea Kings, jika Malaysia membuat keputusan membeli helicopter barunya, Superhawks S-92 untuk kegunaan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM).

Eksekutif Jualan Serantau Sikorsky bagi Asia, Scott Pierce, berkata tawaran itu dibuat melalui bida dikemukakan syarikatnya kepada kementerian berkenaan, selepas Malaysia mengumumkan tawaran tender terbuka antarabangsa berhubung pembelian helicopter baru bagi pasukan itu.

Katanya, jika Malaysia memutuskan terus menggunakan Nuri bersama helicopter terbarunya, Sikorsky yang juga anak syarikat United Technologies Corporation (UTC), menyatakan komitmen membaik pulih atau meningkatkan khidmat Nuri di Negara ini.

“Sikorsky sedia membeli semua baki Nuri daripada TUDM untuk dijual kepada mana-mana pihak yang berminat, tetapi juga TUDM masih mahu menggunakan Nuri bersama helicopter S-92, kita sanggup membaik pulih dan meningkatkan helicopter berusia lebih 40 tahun itu, termasuk menukar daripada kokpit konvensional kepada kokpit kaca (digital).

“Tugas balik pulih Nuri akan membabitkan pemindahan teknologi terkini dan kepakaran kepada orang tempatan”, katanya kepada Berita Minggu pada temu bual di sini, baru-baru ini.

I am not a spokesman for Sikorsky, but this offer warrants an explanation from the Ministry of Defence as to the critera for the final selection of Eurocopter among the four “short-listed” bids.

The government had allocated US$600 million (RM1.93 billion) to buy an initial fleet of 12 helicopters, which will be in service until 2050.

Last year, the government cancelled a defence deal with the European aerospace giant EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) for 197 helicopters to the country’s army following adverse observations by Indian watchdog authorities over alleged irregularities in the defence bidding process.

According to published reports, Eurocopter allegedly used a local firm, Global Vectra Helicorp, to help broker the deal despite a ban in India on the use of middlemen in defence deal.

Eurocopter was also accused of presenting a civilian helicopter instead of a military version for statutory field trials by the Indian army.

But what should attract the attention and concern of Parliament is that the EADS deal to sell 197 Eucopters to the Indian government was a US$600 million which the Indian government subsequently cancelled.

Parliament and the nation are entitled to know why for the same amount of US$600 million, the Indian government was offered 197 Eurocopters as compared to 12 Eurocopters to Malaysia.
In the name of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance, I call for the immediate suspension of the RMAF helicopter award to subject it to a proper and above-board procurement process.
------------------------------------
NST Online: Nuri to make way for Eurocopter's Cougars

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysian Air Force will replace its ageing helicopter fleet of Sikorsky S61-A4 Sea Kings, better known as the Nuri, with Eurocopter's Cougar EC725.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced this yesterday after a parade at Wisma Pertahanan to welcome him as defence minister.

"We have signed a Letter of Intent with Eurocopter.

"Mindef has taken into consideration its needs and Eurocopter presented the best option among all the bidders."

The Eurocopter Cougar EC725 was one of four aircraft shortlisted by RMAF. The other three were the Sikorsky S92, Agusta Westland EH-101 Merlin and the Russian-made Mil Mi-17 Hip.
The manufacturers all bid for the contract in an open international tender held during the last Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show.

It was reported that the government had allocated US$600 million (RM1.93 billion) to buy an initial fleet of 12 helicopters, which will be in service until 2050.

Eight are planned for RMAF's Nuri replacement programme.

Abdullah said he had also stressed the importance of energy efficiency to the ministry staff, especially in the construction of housing for them.

"I have asked them to utilise IBS (Industrialised Building Systems) for the ministry's housing programme.

"We will have cost savings. Houses will be built faster while maintaining the quality."

Abdullah said previous attempts at using IBS had failed as the Public Works Department was not ready to employ the technique.

He said IBS would be used on housing projects in at least 12 camps.

The IBS is a construction process has been talked about for more than a decade and it utilises techniques, products, components or building systems that involve prefabricated components like steel structures and pre-cast concrete and on-site installation.

Many developed countries, where labour is comparably more expensive, favour the IBS because pre-casting components at the factory saves costs, reduces labour and wastage and improves quality through standardisation.

The government has previously voiced its hopes that IBS would help reduce dependency on foreign workers by 30 per cent by 2015.

---------------------------------------
Suara KeADILan Online: Pembelian Eurocopter: Skandal Najib didedah

BELUM pun selesai skandal komisyen jet pejuang Sukhoi dan kapal selam Scorpene, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Najib Tun Razak terpalit dalam satu lagi skandal: kontrak perolehan Eurocopter menggantikan helikopter Nuri.

Merasmikan sesi terakhir penggal pertama Persidangan Dewan Rakyat, Ketua Pembangkang Anwar Ibrahim membongkar kecurigaan-kecurigaan serius dalam perolehan helikopter berdaya tinggi ini.

Anwar berkata demikian dengan merujuk kepada surat rasmi yang dihantar syarikat pembida helikopter, Mentari Services, kepada Timbalan Perdana Menteri Najib Abdul Razak. Surat tersebut mendedahkan kerajaan telah bersetuju membeli 10 unit Eurocopter, walhal pembida lain menawarkan helikopter berkeupayaan sama pada nilai yang jauh lebih menjimatkan.

Pada 26 September lalu, Perdana Menteri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mengumumkan kerajaan akan menggantikan angkatan helikopter Nuri kepada Eurocopter Cougar EC725 buatan Perancis. Bagi tujuan tersebut, kerajaan memperuntukkan sekurang-kurangnya RM1.93 bilion untuk membeli 12 unit helikopter baru.

Helikopter Eurocopter Cougar EC725 adalah satu dari empat jenis helikopter yang disenarai pendek oleh Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM). Keempat-empat syarikat terbabit dalam bidaan tersebut menawarkan spesifikasi memenuhi kehendak Kementerian Pertahanan (Mindef).

Harga tender yang ditawarkan Eurocopter bagi 10 helikopter itu adalah RM2.317 bilion dan adalah harga yang paling tinggi. Mentari Services, melalui syarikat induk Kelowna Flightcraft menawarkan helikopter buatan Rusia Mi-172 KF pada harga RM898 juta, manakala syarikat pembuat Nuri, Sikorsky dari Amerika Syarikat, menawarkan helikopter alaf baru S-92 pada harga RM1.452 bilion.

“Persoalan yang berbangkit adalah, syarikat Eurocopter adalah pembida tertinggi, berbanding pembida Rusia yang menawarkan RM1.4 bilion jauh lebih murah. Mungkin ini adalah dasar kerajaan memilih pembida paling tinggi, supaya komisyen yang mereka dapat pun tinggi.”

Sepanjang Dewan Rakyat bersidang, Menteri Kewangan Najib Razak dan Menteri Pertahanan Abdullah Ahmad Badawi serta timbalan mereka tidak hadir dalam sesi tersebut, lantas menggagalkan sebarang usaha menuntut penjelasan dari mereka.

Namun skandal kali ini tidak terhenti setakat itu. Cara pemilihan helikopter dibuat amat mencurigakan. Pengerusi Mentari Services, Kapten (B) Zahar Hashim, mempersoalkan kebijaksanaan Menteri Pertahanan dan Menteri Kewangan meluluskan perolehan Eurocopter tanpa melalui fasa percubaan sepenuhnya.

Dalam hal ini, kerajaan dilaporkan tergesa-gesa meluluskan tender Eurocopter walhal ujian penilaian ke atas keempat-empat helikopter belum selesai dijalankan. Bahkan, kerajaan enggan melakukan ujian penerbangan ke atas helikopter Kelowna dan Sikorsky.

Menurut Kapten (B) Zahar, Kelowna sudi menyediakan sebuah helikopter Mi-172KF secara percuma untuk tempoh ujian enam bulan namun kesudian itu ditolak kerajaan. Manakala wakil Sikorsky langsung tidak dihubungi sama-sekali.

“Belum pun proses penilaian selesai dijalankan dengan tiba-tiba arahan diberi pihak tertentu supaya Letter of Intent (LOI) dikeluarkan kepada Eurocopter. LOI ini ditandatangani seorang pegawai menengah di Kementerian Pertahanan pada 15 September 2008, iaitu dua hari sebelum Najib Tun Razak berpindah ke Kementerian Kewangan,”

Dua unit Mi-17 telah dibeli dan digunakan oleh Bomba Malaysia yang dilaporkan amat berpuas hati dengan prestasi helikopter itu. Helikopter buatan Rusia itu digunakan secara meluas dalam konflik peperangan di merata dunia, dan ketahanannya terkenal di kalangan komuniti ketenteraan. Sebanyak 12,000 unit Mi-17 telah dijual dan digunakan di 60 buah negara.

Manakala S-92 buatan Amerika Syarikat pula antara yang terbaik dan termaju dalam kelasnya, menjadi pilihan negara-negara Barat khususnya Kanada, Amerika Syarikat dan United Kingdom serta negara-negara Timur Tengah.

Hanya Perancis, selaku pemilik saham terbesar dalam syarikat Eurocopter, yang mengendalikan Eurocopter EC 725.

Meneruskan ucapan beliau, Anwar menegaskan unsur-unsur mencurigakan dalam pembelian Eurocopter ini menjustifikasikan penyiasatan menyeluruh. Kerajaan telah bersikap sangat tidak profesional, sangat tidak telus, dan tidak memikirkan beban ekonomi yang ditanggung rakyat.

“Secara logik, adalah tidak munasabah Kementerian Pertaha- nan membuat keputusan membeli helikopter pada harga dua ratus juga ringgit tanpa menemui wakil penjualnya dan melakukan ujian penerbangan.”

Tambah beliau, sikap tergesa-gesa Menteri Kewangan dan Menteri Pertahanan sememangnya luar biasa. Di saat negara diancam kemelesetan, sikap tidak bertanggungjawab Menteri Pertahanan dan Menteri Kewangan dalam perolehan aset tentera amat dikesalkan.

“Soalnya, apakah negara kita boleh terus menelan dan menerima kecurangan-kecurangan sedemikian yang cukup mengaibkan?”
--------------------------------------
From TheStar

Eurocopter chosen to replace Nuri
By LISA GOH

KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry is currently undergoing negotiations with Eurocopter Malaysia Sdn Bhd for its RMAF’s Nuri replacement programme.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that the Ministry had already sent Eurocopter a Letter of Intent (LOI).

“We have sent them an LOI, and we are in negotiations regarding the details.

“The Cabinet suggested new helicopters as the Nuri is already old, and has been involved in accidents, and there have also been deaths,” he told the press Friday after a briefing by officials on his first day at the Defence Ministry.

Abdullah, who is also the Prime Minister, and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak swapped posts last week, with Najib now helming the Finance Ministry.

Asked why Eurocopter was selected, Abdullah said that the Ministry would have “considered all the necessary specifications in the helicopters” before making a decision, but declined to elaborate.

On another matter, he also said that the Defence Ministry was ready to implement the Industrialised Building System (IBS) for the Ministry’s development housing projects.

“If IBS is used, there will be savings and the houses can be built faster and with guaranteed quality. It’s a very advantageous system,” he said.

Abdullah added that there were about 12 old camps currently which needed to be repaired or rebuilt in the Klang Valley and in Ipoh.


malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed