DSAI WANTS TO KNOW WHY THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVALUATION IN EUROCOPTER DEAL - malaysiakini

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to explain fully and in person the exact procurement process of what he calls the Eurocopter scandal. Anwar told reporters in Parliament today that he was horrified to hear the Deputy Defence Minister admit in the Dewan Rakyat that the decision to buy 12 units of the Eurocopter EC725 Cougar to replace the ageing fleet of Nuri helicopters was done without any physicalevaluation, but was based on mere "documents".

"This is not acceptable. This, to my mind, is the most shocking revelation that I've heard about the method of procurement by the Defence Ministry," he said.

"How can you allocate RM1.6 billion to buy Eurocopters presumed to be safe, the best, and state-of-the-art without having a look at the Eurocopters?" he said, while repeatedly emphasising the price.

Anwar had earlier criticised the federal government for making a 'blunder" in releasing two sets of statements and figures over the package price for the Eurocopter deal.

The Defence Ministry had said that the Eurocopters cost RM1.1 billion before the inclusion of additional technical specifications, which would bring the total sum to RM1.6 billion.

Anwar noted that from his experience as a former Finance Minister, there was no need for two statements and two figures.

"If one figure given is a comprehensive and complete figure, we don't need to come back and say the initial figure does not take into consideration this part or that part," he said.

The Permatang Pauh MP said he had filed a motion with the Speaker to discuss the matter in the House and noted that it had been set for next Monday.

"I have made my views known that the only way to deal with something this major is an independent commission of inquiry," he said.

He added that he hoped the Public Accounts Committee would continue its scrutiny into this controversial purchase and counted on his fellow Pakatan Rakyat MPs sitting on the committee to ensure full transparency. -- TMI