KUALA LUMPUR: The government has agreed to declassify documents pertaining to investigations into the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) scandal.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today these documents include the reports from the Special Investigative Committee on Procurement, Governance and Finance on the LCS, and the forensic audit report made in 2019.
However, he said, the government would seek the advice of the attorney-general and auditor general before doing so.
Ismail Sabri said this after chairing a cabinet meeting and a meeting with Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki on Wednesday.
"The cabinet has agreed to urge the MACC to speed up the probe and if strong evidence is obtained, the attorney-general should proceed to charge the individuals responsible in court.
"Nevertheless, the decisions made by the cabinet today will not affect the mobilisation process under the LCS Recovery Plan that was agreed on April 20. The government is committed to continuing this project due to its importance to the country's defence and to cater for the needs of our naval forces.
"On behalf of the government, I give assurance that the investigation into this matter will be carried out transparently and that the government will not protect anyone involved," he said in a statement here today.
The RM9 billion LCS project contract was awarded to Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS), where the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) is the biggest shareholder, through direct negotiation.
However, the Public Accounts Committee, on Aug 4, revealed that BNS has not delivered a single ship although the government has paid RM6.083 billion so far.
Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on Monday said the government would report on the schedule and progress of the LCS construction project in stages.
The Defence Ministry, he had said, has been given six months to revive the project and said the first ship would be delivered to the navy within two years.
The Special Investigative Committee on Procurement, Governance and Finance report was led by former auditor general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.