Urging the prime minister to “step up and stop the rot” by providing leadership, the group asked whether the defence minister at the time could be absolved of responsibility for the failed project.
Was the defence minister being aloof about the LCS project or was it that no one took responsibility to adequately brief the minister, said retired brigadier-general Arshad Raji, president of the National Patriots Association.
The defence minister at the time was Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Arshad said in an open letter to the prime minister: “Leadership by any universal qualification means that the head takes full responsibility. Period.”
He said the sum of RM6 billion, paid out without a single ship ever being completed and delivered, was clearly “thievery at its best”.
“It is mind boggling to really comprehend how such a huge amount of money had been paid by the finance ministry without a physical check to ensure the money is rightfully spent,” he said.
Arshad praised former navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar for speaking out against the defence ministry and contractor Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) for ignoring his professional views on the LCS project.
The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said that the navy had initially chosen the Dutch-designed Sigma-class ships, which had been approved by the defence ministry.
However, the French-made Gowind design was later chosen in July 2011, after BNS recommended it to the then defence minister.
Arshad called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to act speedily on the report by the PAC.
Yesterday, defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein said those involved in misconduct concerning the project would be brought to justice. He said MACC was still investigating the case.
In Kuching today, Hishammuddin accused opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of seeking political mileage by calling for phase six of the LCS project to be stopped.
He said Anwar’s call was against Pakatan Harapan’s decision to continue with the project when the coalition was in power.
“Over 400 vendors are hoping for the project to continue and 90% of them are involved with veterans,” he said. “If he really wants to help the veterans, cancelling the project is not the way to do it.”
Anwar had suggested yesterday that the next phase involving RM571 million be stopped because the money would be better spent to alleviate the cost of living and welfare for low-income groups and military veterans.