Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA) - Malaysian authorities have begun overhauling\nthe military asset procurement system for the Malaysian Armed Forces\n(ATM) following a freeze on procurement funding triggered by corruption\nallegations involving former senior military officials.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin stated that his\nministry would implement a number of improvements to the military asset\nprocurement system.<\/p>\n
The new measures were agreed upon following discussions with\nMalaysia\u2019s Ministry of Finance, as reported by BERNAMA in Kuala Lumpur\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
Khaled said that future procurement committees must include\nrepresentatives from all service branches, rather than just one, in\norder to enhance transparency and ensure adequate checks and\nbalances.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, if procurement is carried out by the Royal Malaysian\nNavy, the committee must also include representatives from other\nservices such as the Army or the Air Force,\u201d Khaled said.<\/p>\n
He added that the procurement of equipment from abroad must first go\nthrough an open international tender process to avoid the involvement of\nagents who could inflate costs.<\/p>\n
According to Khaled, the Ministry of Finance has also established a\nrequirement for representatives from the Home Affairs Ministry to sit on\ntender boards for major procurements involving the Defence Ministry.<\/p>\n
Khaled assured that the freeze does not affect the operational\nreadiness of the Malaysian Armed Forces, as it does not cover critical\ndaily operational requirements.<\/p>\n
Items exempted from the freeze include food supplies for personnel\ndeployed on operations, as well as essential logistics such as vehicle\nfuel and spare parts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen personnel are deployed on remote operations, they require food\nsupplies. Vehicles also need fuel and spare parts. These items have been\nrequested to be exempted from the freeze,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Previously, on 16 January, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim\ndirected that all military and police asset procurement decisions linked\nto corruption issues be temporarily frozen until procurement procedures\nare fully complied with.<\/p>\n
The freeze was implemented following controversy over alleged\ncorruption and abuse of power by a number of former senior leaders of\nthe Malaysian armed forces.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-overhauls-military-procurement-system-following-corruption-allegations-1771720970", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }