Why is the LMS required?

Yesterday, DAP MP for Kampar, Dr. Ko Chung Sen questioned the need for Malaysia to purchase 10 Littoral Mission Ships worth RM3 billion from China, as reported by MalaysiaKini.

YB Kampar - Dr. Ko Chung Sen (DAP)
Source: DAP

The good doctor claimed that Najib administration does not care for the welfare of the rakyat as the purchases were made when the budget for Health Ministry was cut by 24%.  The good doctor claimed that the purchase of the 10 ships is not beneficial.

Thank you Doctor, for being very caring of the Rakyat's health.

However, national security is equally important.

May be you were not aware as I understand many Malaysians do not really care about national security, but let me share this.  We are technically naked.

After the NGPV fiasco in 2006 - 2010, RMN is unfortunately what some of us would deemed as a paper Navy.

KD Selangor (Pennant 176)
1 of 6 Kedah class NGPV
Interestingly, I didn't hear
any pro-Govt nor opposition MP
making noise about the
embezzlement by Amin Shah,
former chairman of PSC Naval Dockyard.

Today, the Navy surface combatants consists of 2 Lekiu class frigates (entering 20th year in service), 2 Kasturi class corvettes (entering 30th year in service), 6 Kedah class offshore patrol vessels, 4 Laksamana class Fast Attack Craft (Gun) (entering 30th year in service), 4 Mahimeru class minesweeper (entering 30th year in service) and approximately 20 plus Fast Attack Crafts of various makes and models (almost 40 years old).

Laksamana class corvette,
now converted into FAC (G).
Source: Wikipedia

Lekiu class frigate - Source: Wikipedia

Kasturi class corvette - Source: Wikipedia

Due to non-standard models and makes, many of these FAC have high operating and maintenance costs.

Some are no longer deployed, waiting to be struck off from the Navy's register.

The Navy today has come out with a Navy Transformation Plan 15-to-5, where 15 types of ships will be rationalised into 5 types of ships, one of it would be the LMS.

The Navy's plan called for 18 units of LMS and each unit should not cost more than RM200 million.  Using this parameter, total cost should be around RM3.6 billion.

With this 18 new ships in play, the Navy can retire approximately 30 plus vessels which are no longer economical to be maintained and overhauled.

This move will significantly reduce operational cost in the long run.

At the price tag of RM200 million per ship, the only country that is able to offer ships this cheap would be China.

The last 10 years, after the fiasco with NGPV project, the Navy can ill afford not to expand their capabilities.

Twice during the last 10 years, the Navy was stretched beyond operational capacity.

First was between 2006 to 2013 when RMN was involved in Ops Fajar, patrolling the seas off Gulf of Aden.  

Despite being stretched thin, the Navy was involved in 3 known anti-piracy ship-boarding.  1 incident, the Navy rescued an MISC ship.  While the other 2 incidents, one was a Chinese-flagged ship and another is not recorded.

Ops Fajar - Stretched the Navy's operational capacity

Unofficially, the Navy may have also participated with 2 other rescue attempts with French forces and American forces; the only clue was the French President thanking Malaysian support in the rescue attempt.  This has never been confirmed nor denied by Malaysian Government.

Then, came Lahad Datu Incident.  Once again, the Navy was stretched thin.

Threat from Southern Philippines. 

With 6 main operational area, the Navy was forced to deploy the Navy's Hydrography ships, KD Perantau and KD Mutiara to patrol the seas.  Please note these are unarmed ships.

KD Perantau - Source: Secure Malaysia Blog

Despite Navy's need to be involved in ESSCOM, the lack of ships have forced the Navy to reduce its presence.

In South China Sea, the Navy has 5 naval Forward Operation Base.  These bases, called stations need to be supplied regularly.  Due to lack of ships, this had to be performed by the Navy's CB90.

I believe, if the good doctor remember, a few months back, the Navy had lost contact with 1 Navy combat boat. The CB90 boat went missing for approximately 1 full day, before being found.

RMN CB90 - These are being used to resupply
our FOB in South China Sea.
Source: Rentaka

With the purchase of new ships, this role can be better served by LMS.

Doctor, these navy personnel, they are Malaysians too.  To perform their duties, they need the most suitable equipment.  Only then they can perform their duties.

When there's trouble, it is them that we rely on to provide security.  Yet, we're tying their hands down.

They're not asking to buy a yacht for leisure.  They're not asking for a super large aircraft carrier to defend the country.  Their request is reasonable and it is within the fiduciary duty of the government to provide them with the right equipment at the right price.

Republic of Philippines
BRP Gregorio del Pilar

And oh please, please don't use the old trick of comparing the ships we intend to purchase with the Republic of Philippines BRP Gregorio del Pilar.  The Philippines had actually bought those nearly 50 years old ship from US Coast Guard.

It is just like me, the Rakyat allowing you to buy a BMW for your personal use, except that you must buy a BMW 502.

Maybe YB Kampar would like to follow the example shown by YB Rantau Panjang (PAS) and YB Sandakan.

YB Rantau Panjang - Siti Zailah
Mohd Yusoff (PAS)
Source: blog

From YB Rantau Panjang (Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff - PAS)

"Begitu juga saya ingin tahu tentang keselamatan di sempadan. Keselamatan di sempadan bukan boleh kita perlekehkan. Saya kasihan tengok tentera-tentera kita, pasukan beruniform kita berkejar-kejar berjalan kaki, kadang-kadang dengan penyeludup menggunakan kereta laju dan sebagainya. Apa yang paling bimbang takut senapang itu peluru cukupkah tidak, itu yang saya bimbang. Peluru cukupkah tidak ini dok kawal sempadan. Jadi saya harap, saya tanya ini bukan sahaja, saya sudah selidik perkara ini. Jadi, saya harap perkara ini diberi perhatian sebab isu ini isu nyawa dan isu keselamatan rakyat. "

YB Datin Linda Tsen (BN) Sandakan

From YB Sandakan Datin Linda Tsen (BN)

"Tuan Yang di-Pertua, saya sudah bangkit di Dewan yang mulia ini bahawa peraturan tentera antara timur dan barat Malaysia adalah amat tidak seimbang.

Walaupun kita pun tahu ancaman keselamatan di Pantai Timur Sabah adalah serius dan ketara tetapi kebanyakan tentera ditumpu di Semenanjung mengikut laporan. Kini
Semenanjung Malaysia mempunyai tiga division yang ditambahkan di Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lumpur dan Melaka. Manakala seluruh Timur Malaysia yang lebih luas hanya mempunyai satu division di Kuching.

Nisbah pertahanan angkatan tentera dan polis di Semenanjung Malaysia 70% manakala hanya 30% sahaja untuk Sabah dan Sarawak. Ia adalah amat tidak seimbang. Kenapa sedangkan Pantai Timur Sabah menghadapi ancaman yang terbesar. Kenapa tidak ada division ditambahkan di Sabah untuk memperkuatkan pertahanan di Sabah. Jangan lupa bahawa Lahad Datu pernah diceroboh dan ada kemungkinan bahawa pasukan pengganas pun juga akan ceroboh ke atas tanah air Sabah lagi. Ini kita perlu diawasi oleh kita semua.

Tuan Yang di-Pertua, justeru saya cadangkan supaya strategi ini dirombak semula supaya sepatutnya satu division harusnya ditempatkan di Sabah, Lahad Datu untuk meningkatkan kemampuan pertahanan negara kita di Pantai Timur Sabah. Tuan Yang di-Pertua, ESSCOM sudah guna lebih RM146 juta dan tahun ini pun diperuntukkan sebanyak RM44 juta daripada segi pembangunan. Akan tetapi ia langsung tidak berkesan dan tidak dapat melindungi rakyat Sabah. Kes penculikan masih berkali-kali berlaku dan ESSCOM ini langsung tidak dapat buat apa-apa.

Justeru saya minta ia dibubarkan dan saya cadangkan angkatan tentera dan pasukan pertahanan negara masuk dan memimpin kerja pertahanan di Pantai Timur Sabah dengan guna aset yang lebih canggih. Saya tahu bahawa kerajaan mula arahkan kapal-kapal di Pantai Timur Sabah pasangkan sistem AIS di kapal mereka. Akan tetapi tanpa radar yang efektif ia tidak mencukupi untuk mengesan dan memantau keadaan di kawasan perairan Pantai
Timur Sabah. Walaupun AIS ini boleh mengesan kapal-kapal sendiri di laut tetapi ia tidak boleh mengesan kapal yang tidak dikenali seperti kapal Abu Sayyaf. Oleh itu kita perlu sistem radar yang canggih dan berkesan untuk memantau dan merangkumi seluruh kawasan perairan Pantai Timur Sabah supaya kita dapat tahu pencerobohan
pasukan pengganas itu.

Tuan Yang di-Pertua, selain itu masalah pendatang asing tanpa izin yang amat ramai di Sabah satu fakta yang melibatkan dalam ancaman Abu Sayyaf dan penculikan yang sering berlaku di pantai timur. Ini bukan sahaja saya cakap malah Menteri Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Negeri Sabah dan pihak polis juga bersetuju bahawa ada fakta dalaman iaitu orang dalaman terlibat dalam kes-kes penculikan. Itu telah menyebabkan pasukan keselamatan kita agak susah mengelakkan ancaman pengganas. Memandangkan kebanyakan orang dalaman ini ada double nationality. Di kawasan kita mereka mempunyai MyKad dan di kawasan Filipina pula mereka pun ada Philippine punya identity. Memang susah kita mahu mengenal pasti masalah ini.

Saya berpendapat bahawa ia perlu diselesaikan secara holistik. Saya minta kerajaan mengambil tindakan yang cekap dan mengatasi masalah PATI di Sabah."