KUALA LUMPUR, December 14 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has released a report indicating that the implementation of the mobilization plan for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Second Generation Patrol Vessel project has not achieved a significant level. The findings emerged from a working visit conducted by seven PAC members and the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat to the Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) on October 5. The report noted a negative variance of 0.07 percent or a one-month delay in the overall progress of the project compared to the original plan.
However, assurances from BNS and RMN suggest that this delay won’t impact the overall timeline for the delivery of LCS ships to the navy. The PAC report highlighted that despite the ongoing construction work, there is confidence in the project’s completion on time, backed by monitoring from the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), RMN, and the Ministry of Finance (MOF). The report outlined the existence of multiple committees overseeing the LCS project, including the Technical Committee, the project management review (PMR), the Working Committee, and the Project Monitoring Committee (PMC).
PAC recommended that Mindef presents progress reports every three months and emphasized the prudent use of funds, prioritizing the LCS project and avoiding wasteful expenditure. Additionally, the report called for a more proactive role from MOF to ensure efficient use of public funds in the LCS construction project. The report can be accessed on the PAC website at https://www.parlimen.gov.my/pac. This development follows earlier controversies surrounding the LCS construction project, which had faced scrutiny over delays and cost overruns.
