KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — The Defence Ministry (MINDEF) assured it would not compromise on safety, operational, or technical specifications in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project prior to its handover to the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said the ministry is firm that operational requirements and personnel safety would not be compromised, despite challenges from previous delays, including a revised delivery schedule.
He added that perceptions that no progress had been made over the past three years were inaccurate, as construction, port testing, and preparations for sea trials had been carried out in line with the ship project’s recovery plan.
“As of December 25, the overall progress of the LCS project has reached 75 per cent, compared with 81.57 per cent under the original schedule.
“Despite the gap between actual progress and the original schedule, recovery efforts continue in phased, focused stages to ensure the ship is completed according to the set standards,” he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address for MINDEF at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Adly said the first ship (LCS 1) is set for sea trials in April, with its delivery revised from December 2025 to December 2026, while LCS 2 is expected to be delivered in August 2027.
He also addressed allegations of interference in the project, stressing that there had been no manipulation of its implementation or reporting.
Adly said the project’s implementation had considered recommendations of the previous Public Accounts Committee (PAC), with a special monitoring committee established in collaboration with the Finance Ministry to ensure technical and financial aspects are properly managed.
He also explained that, despite allegations and investigations into the LCS project, including those conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the ministry had always extended full cooperation.
“Our core responsibility is to ensure the successful implementation of the LCS project, in addition to cooperating with the MACC in all forms of investigation,” he said.
Adly said the entire government procurement process was implemented based on the principles of transparency, integrity, accountability and value for money, with checks and balances in place, including technical committee assessments and Procurement Board approval within the prescribed limits.
