Perpetrators in LCS scandal must face the music, Nik Nazmi says

RAJA NUR FAZNIE AIDA
09 Aug 2022 12:05pm
Nik Nazmi - BERNAMA FILE PIX
Nik Nazmi - BERNAMA FILE PIX
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SHAH ALAM –Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) urges that individuals who were proven to have committed the offence of embezzlement in regards to the littoral combat ship (LCS) acquisition project must be brought to justice.

PKR Vice President Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the situation not only degrades the country but also reflected the hardship to preserve the nation against corrupted politicians who embezzled the people’s money.

“For the time being, I would like to conclude and say that the responsible parties should not blame the people.

“Instead, they should be responsible for the failure revealed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

“Those proven to have done wrong must bring forward to justice.

“This situation not only humiliates the country but also reflects the hardship to preserve the nation against corrupted politicians embezzling the people’s money,” he said in a Facebook posting on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, he also welcomed the issuance of the Dewan Rakyat PAC report on the LCS polemic valued at RM9 billion, which was one of the highest defence procurement for new equipment in Malaysia’s history.

He said the PAC report mirrored and proved the issue regarding the LCS project which was previously brought up in Dewan Rakyat in Parliament’s Special Select Committee on Defence and Home Affairs chaired by him from December 2019 to December 2020 had a solid foundation.

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“I have begun investigations on the project since it’s taking too long to be accomplished.

“The Special Investigative Committee of Governance, Procurement and Finance have pressured us on various issues and embezzlement plaguing that project, now proven by PAC,” he said.

The Setiawangsa Parliament member added that the PAC report also found that the government had done insufficient efforts at that time regarding the financial condition of Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS), which revealed a critically weak internal management.

“What’s disappointing is the government is treating this scandal as if they have no relation towards it at all, even though some of its leaders were in the Cabinet at the time of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government when the embezzlement happened.

“At least, they should be truthful with what happened in this issue. There are indeed a few individuals who have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and more will come.

“Unfortunately, no parties have been charged for this scandal,” he said.