KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) is actively involved and has given its full cooperation in finalising the sixth supplementary agreement (SA6) for the construction of littoral combat ships (LCS).
In a statement today, it said a series of discussions and meetings regarding the SA6 draft had taken place since April after the Cabinet approved the decision on the direction of the project on April 19.
As a result, Mindef has received comments from the AGC in a letter dated May 24, 2023, where four main issues were raised, including a Progress Payment Plan, Integrated Logistic Support, Detailed Design, and Liquidated Ascertained Damages, along with recommendations for other amendments.
“Mindef has considered all these matters, and relevant amendments have been made accordingly.
“Therefore, the SA6 was signed after taking into account the comments of the AGC and the views of the previous PAC (the Public Accounts Committee) report as well as the Committee on Governance, Procurement, and Finance Investigation,” it said.
The statement was issued following an article published on a news portal titled PAC criticises Mindef for signing LCS deal without AGC approval, allegedly quoted from the PAC report on the progress of the LCS project from October 2022 to May 2023, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday.
Mindef also denied claims there had been no progress in LCS construction from the 14th PAC visit in December 2021 until the 15th PAC visit in June this year.
“This was due to the government’s approval of the project continuation plan on April 19, which, among others, saw the construction begin in September 2023 after a three-month mobilisation period by Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd,” it said.
— Bernama
