KUALA LUMPUR: The Democratic Action Party DAP called for the resignation of the Attorney-General and the Chief of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission MACC on Thursday for their supposed inaction over the littoral combatant ship LCS scandal.
This was after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he had contacted Attorney-General Idrus Harun and MACC chief Azam Baki and ordered them to take immediate action on Wednesday.
DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng said this was an open admission that both Mr Azam and Mr Idrus had miserably failed in their duty to act independently and professionally without fear or favour.
The abject failure of both agencies to defend national interests and uphold the sanctity of the law to punish those involved in the misappropriation of funds in the RM 9 billion US $2.02 billion LCS scandal cannot be justified.
Malaysians are outraged that RM 6 billion has been paid, but not one single ship has been delivered, even though the delivery time has long passed.
MACC and the attorney-general seem indifferent, and seem ready to act only when directed and not when a wrong is committed. In a statement, Lim said that both Azam and Idrus must resign as unfit for their important positions so that their replacement can conduct and act against those responsible.
The procurement of six LCS is the subject of a RM 9.14 billion navy contract scandal, which saw current and former defence ministers deny responsibility.
The Ministry of Defence has awarded six ships to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd BNS through direct negotiation, and the government has paid 6.08 billion or 66.65 per cent of the cost so far, according to the Malaysian Parliament's Public Accounts Committee PAC.
Not even one of the LCS ships has been delivered. Five LCS ships should have been handed over to us by August 2022, according to the timelines, said PAC chairman and Ipoh Timor MP Wong Kah Woh at a press conference last Thursday.
The first ship was due to be delivered in April 2019.