Khamis, 10 Mac 2011

Zahid Challenges Opposition MPs Over Questions On Defence Assets

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today challenged opposition politicians who often question the purchase of national defence assets to raise the matter in Parliament instead of in blogsites or other media.

He said certain MPs used blogsites and other media as the platform to "assault" the ministry over the purchase of these assets but remained silent in Parliament.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said he and Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad were ready to answer all questions and accusations raised in Parliament on the purchase of the assets.

He cited Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua as an example, and said the latter challenged him and the ministry in his blogsite but did not ask any question in Parliament.

"I challenge him and others to raise the matter in Parliament with the appropriate facts and arguments," he told reporters after opening the veterans' ward at the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital in Wangsa Maju, here.

Dr Ahmad Zahid also challenged Tony Pua and anybody else who had proof of irregularities in the purchase of national defence inventories to lodge reports with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission with documentary evidence.

Tony Pua had said in his blogsite recently that the price of six units of Offshore Patrol Vessels ordered by the Royal Malaysian Navy was between 26 per cent and 870 per cent above the cost of various international-class OPVs.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the ministry would not compromise in the matter of individuals politicising defence and security and would not hesitate to hurl them to court if their allegations were baseless.

He also said that the armed forces' strength in weaponry and its technical operations had to remain classified and were not for public consumption.

At the event, Dr Ahmad Zahid opened the 24-bed veterans' ward, termed the Bunga Raya Ward, at the hospital for use of armed forces veterans who were immobilised or suffering from chronic ailments.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the hospital would be upgraded to a teaching hospital in collaboration with the medical faculty of the National Defence University.

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