STATE OF OUR MILITARY ASSETS NEEDS TO BE FIXED
I am referring to the article dated January 10th by Bernama, published on FMT. For the whole of 2022, there were not less than five incidents nationwide which showcased the shocking state of our military assets. Our French submarines surprisingly could not dive; jets were found with missing engines; a few army trucks were involved in road accidents due to technical faulty; an army tank broke down in the middle of KL causing a major traffic jam; and to our surprise (again), some six combat ships which were supposed to be delivered was found un-finished and un-prepared for combat.
What surprised me was the number of mentions on the news on the media and the stakeholders involved. We had at least two ministers harping on the need to modernize our military assets, a retired Navy Admiral who went viral on the worst state of out Naval assets, and latest, and even the Sultan of Selangor! His Royal Highness had gone on Facebook and expressed his concerns on the need to prioritize and urgently rejuvenate our military and naval assets as these caused serious risks to our national security and safety of our territorial waters.
One could not fathom the lack of inaction by the current and previous Governments to understand and be proactive on the matter – just when the geopolitical risks are heightened and the claims for the South China Sea are boiling. As a fellow Malaysian and ex-police officer, I am deeply worried about the safety and security of Malaysia amidst on-going tensions in Russia-Ukraine, the increased incursions in South China Sea, as well as the alarming pirate threats happening in Sabah. To politicians – you’ve had your fair share of politicking in last year’s General Elections, and now it is time for you to focus on the issue at hand. No country is worth fighting over when the people is at risk.
By Ali Akbar as an avid FMT reader.
