KUALA LUMPUR, July 23: Bukit Bendera Member of Parliament Syerleena Abdul Rashid raised the issue of the delayed and incompleted armed forces’ armoured vehicles project at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
Debating the Auditor General Report 2/2025, she said the Parliament and the people had the right to answers on several questions surrounding the project.
The Auditor General report had exposed irregularities in the management of several government agencies and ministries.
Among them included the delay and incompletion of the armed forces RM7.5 billion armoured vehicles project aimed at strengthening the armed forces’ capacity, as well as the subsequent inaction on the late penalty payment for the project.
The project was to see the procurement of 257 modern armoured vehicles and the contract was signed in 2012 with delivery due in 2022. However, the project was delayed and no action was taken on the late penalty payment of RM162.75 million until two yearls later only. Notice was sent by MINDEF’s procurement department only two years later.
Pointing out how people would be evicted if they failed to pay their rent for two years or how they will have their electricity supply cut by Tenaga Nasional if they don’t pay their electricity bills on time, she said it was hard to imagine that 746 days had gone by before the penalty payment notice was made.
More shocking is that almost the full payment of the value contract of RM7.517 bilion was paid by June 2023 although the project was delayed and incomplete.
“Why was the full payment made when full delivery has not taken place?”
Pointing out the recommendations made by the audit report, including the enforcement of the late penalty payment immediately, and to link payments with actual performance status, as well as strengthen the internal audit processes and reporting, she wanted to know if the penalty of RM162 million had been recovered and what were the actions taken by the administration.
The Parliament and the people have the right to these answers, she said, adding that she supported the recommendations of the Auditor General.
— WE