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Pas wants thorough probe on LCS scandal, says no need for RCI

KOTA BARU: Pas believes that a thorough investigation needs to be carried out to determine the parties involved in the controversial Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) scandal.

Pas vice president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said the investigation, however, needs to be transparent so that those behind the scandal could be brought to justice.

"Pas' stance on this scandal is that a thorough probe needs to be conducted so that we will know who is guilty and who is not.

"There is no need for the government to form a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) as it will take time.

"The government should fully utilise the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct the investigation so that we can know the real story behind the scandal as nowadays, everybody claims they are innocent," he added.

Mohd Amar, who is deputy Kelantan Menteri Besar told this to reporters after attending the state-level Perikatan Nasional (PN) gathering here last night.

He said several people have been charged in court in connection with the scandal but it was still the tip of iceberg.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday said the people have a right to get an explanation on the LCS procurement issue, and in this matter the government will not cover it up because it boils down to integrity.

He stressed that this issue, concerning the procurement of assets by the Royal Malaysian Navy in a RM9.13bil contract should be prudently explained to avert speculation and the people jumping to conclusions. .

On Aug 10, Ismail Sabri announced that two high-level investigative reports about the LCS would be made public.

One report is by the governance, procurement, and finance investigation committee, which was set up in 2018 and was led by former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.

This report has been declassified.The other is a forensic audit, which was commissioned in 2019.

On Aug 4, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) revealed that some RM1.4bil in government allocations for the LCS project had been used for other purposes, including cost overruns.

The two-year probe by PAC also revealed that the RM9bil project was done through direct negotiations with Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd and was inked in 2014.

According to the just declassified report by the governance, procurement, and finance investigation committee, the cost of completing the six LCS may balloon to RM11.145bil.

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