Lim Guan Eng cites fresh LCS delays in renewing scrutiny of Zahid’s ‘please implement’ note

In highlighting renewed scrutiny of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's role in the procurement process, DAP's Lim Guan Eng cited fresh delays in Malaysia's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project, currently 7.55% behind schedule.

The project's restructuring saw the order reduced to five ships and costs rise to RM11.22 billion.

This latest delay raises concerns about potential obsolescence of the technology by the 2035 target for full operational readiness.

The Auditor-General's Report stresses the implications these delays may have on the delivery schedule and operational capabilities of the LCS vessels.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng today cited fresh delays to Malaysia’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project in renewing scrutiny of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s role in the procurement when he was defence minister.

In a statement, the Bagan MP referred to the latest findings in the 2026 Auditor-General’s Report, which found that the RM11.22 billion project was 7.55 per cent behind schedule as of June 25.

Lim also referred to a July 8, 2010 letter from Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) to Ahmad Zahid, then defence minister, seeking a letter of intent from the government for the LCS project.

A handwritten note attributed to Ahmad Zahid on the letter read: “SUB [Division Secretary] Procurement, please implement.”

“The words ‘please implement’ continue to haunt Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the RM11.22 billion purchase of five LCS,” Lim said.

The letter was among documents contained in a report by the Special Investigation Committee on Governance, Procurement and Finance that was declassified in 2022.

According to the latest Auditor-General’s Report, progress on the LCS project was 7.55 per cent behind schedule as of June 25, with delays ranging from 30 to 108 days.

The report said the delay could affect the physical handover of LCS 1, which had initially been scheduled for August 26 and now has a revised target date of December 26.

It also said the ship could be handed over without full operational capability because training and weapons systems had yet to be completed.

Full operational readiness for the programme depends on a supplementary contract that is expected to be completed in December 2035, beyond the April 25, 2030 expiry of the main contract.

The Auditor-General also said delays to LCS 1 could affect the delivery schedule for the remaining four vessels.

Lim said the longer timeline raised questions over whether some of the technology used in the ships could become outdated before the programme achieved full operational readiness.

“Apart from the loss of billions of ringgit, a 24-year delay in the delivery of the LCS by 2035 for an order placed in 2011 would inevitably raise questions over whether the technology used in the ships would have become obsolete and outdated,” he said.

Lim’s calculation of 24 years spans the period from the project’s procurement in 2011 to the 2035 target for full operational readiness, rather than representing a 24-year delay against the original ship-delivery schedule.

The LCS programme was originally for six vessels under a RM9.128 billion contract, with the first ship due in 2019 and the remaining vessels to be delivered by 2023.

The project was later restructured, reducing the order to five ships while increasing the contract value to about RM11.22 billion.

The project drew widespread attention in 2022 after the Public Accounts Committee disclosed that RM6.083 billion had been paid as of October 2020 despite none of the six ships having been delivered.

BNS was subsequently renamed Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd, or Lunas, with the government stepping in through a Ministry of Finance-owned vehicle as part of efforts to complete the project.

By the end of 2025, expenditure on the project had risen to about RM8.3 billion, while construction of the first vessel had moved into shipyard-level sea trials.

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民主行动党的林冠英强调，应重新审视副首相拿督斯里阿末扎希哈米迪在采购过程中的角色，并指出马来西亚濒海战斗舰（LCS）项目再次出现延误，目前已落后计划7.55%。

该项目重组后，订单减少到五艘船，成本上升到 112.2 亿令吉。

此次最新延误引发了人们对该技术在 2035 年全面投入使用目标之前可能过时的担忧。

审计长报告强调了这些延误可能对濒海战斗舰的交付进度和作战能力产生的影响。

吉隆坡，10月6日讯——民主行动党的林冠英今天以马来西亚濒海战斗舰（LCS）项目再次延期为由，重新审视了副首相拿督斯里阿末扎希哈米迪在担任国防部长期间在该项目采购中所扮演的角色。

蒲甘国会议员在一份声明中提到了 2026 年审计长报告中的最新调查结果，该报告发现，截至 6 月 25 日，这项耗资 112.2 亿令吉的项目进度落后计划 7.55%。

林还提到了 2010 年 7 月 8 日布斯德海军造船厂 (BNS) 致时任国防部长艾哈迈德·扎希德的一封信，该信旨在寻求政府对 LCS 项目出具意向书。

信上有一张据称是艾哈迈德·扎希德的手写便条，上面写着：“采购司司长，请执行。”

林说：“‘请执行’这句话一直困扰着艾哈迈德·扎希德·哈米迪，因为他斥资112.2亿令吉购买了5艘LCS（登陆舰）。”

这封信是特别调查委员会关于治理、采购和财务的报告中所包含的文件之一，该报告于 2022 年解密。

根据最新的审计长报告，截至 6 月 25 日，LCS 项目的进度比计划落后 7.55%，延误时间从 30 天到 108 天不等。

报告称，此次延误可能会影响 LCS 1 的实际交付，该交付最初计划于 8 月 26 日进行，现在已修订为 12 月 26 日的目标日期。

报告还指出，由于训练和武器系统尚未完成，该舰可能在不具备完全作战能力的情况下交付。

该计划的全面运行准备取决于一份补充合同，该合同预计将于 2035 年 12 月完成，届时主合同将于 2030 年 4 月 25 日到期。

审计长还表示，LCS 1 的延误可能会影响其余四艘舰艇的交付进度。

林表示，较长的工期引发了人们的疑问：在项目达到全面作战准备状态之前，舰艇上使用的一些技术是否会过时。

他说：“除了损失数十亿令吉之外，2011 年下的 LCS 订单到 2035 年交付将延迟 24 年，这必然会引发人们的质疑，即这些舰艇所使用的技术是否已经过时。”

林计算出的 24 年是指从 2011 年项目采购到 2035 年全面投入运营的目标期间，而不是指相对于原先的船舶交付计划延迟 24 年。

LCS计划最初计划建造六艘舰艇，合同金额为91.28亿令吉，首艘舰艇将于2019年交付，其余舰艇将于2023年交付。

该项目后来进行了重组，订单数量减少到五艘船，同时将合同价值增加到约 112.2 亿令吉。

2022年，公共账目委员会披露，尽管六艘船一艘都没交付，但截至2020年10月已支付了60.83亿令吉，该项目因此引起了广泛关注。

BNS 随后更名为 Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd，或 Lunas，政府通过财政部旗下的一家公司介入，努力完成该项目。

到 2025 年底，该项目的支出已增至约 83 亿令吉，而第一艘船的建造已进入船厂级别的海上试验阶段。

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