Tuesday, December 22, 2009

MISSING RMAF JET ENGINE – ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

I wish to share with my readers an email that I received from a friend regarding the stolen RMAF jet fighter engine; the contents of which seems to show the better side of the RMAF and the former Chief of Air Force (presently the Chief of Defence Force). The originator of the email writes:

“I am writing to share the little knowledge and experience I have, doing Air Force business. My company specializes in Aviation/Aerial Refueling. I have been supporting the RMAF for a good number of years. My objective in responding this thread is to give a fair perspective of the state of affairs in the RMAF and rebut numerous accusations and innuendos that we have seen in this tread.

Once upon a time the RMAF procurement and logistics had this reputation of being rotten. Yes, once upon a time. When Gen Tan Sri Azizan (the present Chief of Defence Force) took office as the Chief of Air Force in 2006, the cleaning up process started. The discovery of the loss of engine was discovered during his watch in 2007. As part of the cleaning exercise, more than 15 officers were asked to leave or terminated with disgrace from the Air Force, or sent to the freezer. The highest ranking was a Brig Gen with a Dato title. There were companies banned and blacklisted from the panel of suppliers for MINDEF.

Credit must be given to Tan Sri Azizan for the resolve to arrest the rot. Credit must also be given to the then Minister of Defence without whose support the initiative to get the culprits, some of whom were UMNO businessman, would not have reached the present day level and exposure.

I must stress that from my personal experience and observation in the last 3 years, the efforts have been genuine and not whitewashing.

I guess, as a recognition of his effort, Tan Sri Azizan was promoted to be the Chief of Defence Forces recently. Again, without the endorsement of the PM, that would not be possible. The succession plan that has been put in place seem to have been done to ensure the continued effort on this front.

The cleaning process is ongoing. Let us give the process its due course. I support the initiative as I stand to benefit. Only the good companies will survive the challenges of doing the aviation business in a clean and fair environment.

I hope that clarifies. Let us be fair and just as God loves those who are fair and just”.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

24 comments:

Mej. A R Ramachandran (Retired) said...

What a refreshing relief of sorts, to read a view like this. I suppose there is always two sides to the coin. If these actions are ongoing, and done with sincerity and perseverance, my confidence is restored. If otherwise, i.e.just an eyewash, then I must say OMG. Beyond embarassment, this is plain "not on". I wonder what other hidden "missing"items are on the list?

askarsusu said...

alhamdulilah.. macam tu bagus lah.. kurang-kurang betul gak apa yang Dato kata usaha PAT dapat membantu perkara buruk terus berlaku.. kita kena credit PAT gak lah.. WELL done PAT..hehehe

PJ Moorthy said...

Dear Sir,
Whilst searching for public opinion on the missing engines, I came across your blog.

Thank you for giving 'a different perspective' that most people would simply overlook.

I hope you do not mind if I republish it in our news portal.

pj@malaysia-instinct.com
editor - Malaysia-Instinct.
www.malaysia-instinct.com

Mohd Arshad Raji said...

Dear PJ Moorthy,

It is my pleasure to have you post my writings in your blog.

Hang Jebat said...

Dato'

I received a few emails from my brothers in RMAF. They said TS Azizan, our PAT had done a lot of cleaning in RMAF and now trying to do the same for the whole MAF. Give him some time. I am sure he will do it. His first speech and his 'Perintah Ulung' as PAT was overwhelming with his desires for the best of MAF. God helps us all. Insyaallah

maurice said...

Kalau PAT Jen TS Azizan mahu bersihkan ATM baguslah.Saya ingin cadangkan beliau basmikan pegawai-pegawai dari main golf di waktu Games Day dan waktu kerja.Pegawai-pegawai kalau nak main golf, ambil cuti atau main di hujung minggu.

Saya lihat golf tidak mampu merapatkan tali perhubungan dan persafahaman antara kumpulan pegawai dan peringkat bawahan.Kalau mahu rapat dengan gulongan yang dipimpin, pegawai-pegawai perlu bersama-sama mereka seperti di waktu Games Day atau waktu PT (Physical Training). Kita semua tahu aktibiti-aktibiti tersebut sangat bagus untuk team-building and discipilne terutama mereka yang berkerja di Mindef!

Nochan said...

Alhamdulillah. Harap tamatlah cerita2 yang pegawai2 sedemikian berjaya mempamirkan kekayaan mereka apabila bersara. Orang macam inilah yang MACC patut ekori sehingga tamat di muka keadilan

komando said...

My question is very plain and simple!

Why only the poor guys in uniform is being implicated and indicted for a crime which is sourced from a civilian contractor - namely and nicely divulged by a honest Arms & Aviation Dealer - the crooks are actually UMNO contractors !

I am pretty sure there are more than these names & persons...lots more...it takes a huge gang of players to be able to plan this mother of all heist this country has ever seen!

The whole movement needs - shipping agents, truck drivers, store man, log officers, technical staff,customs depts,airport or port shipping staff, cargo staff!
The document handling staff!

Does Najib knows about it, after all he was the then Def Minister? Does the former KSU's and TKU's knows about this story, or all are being saved by the necks and ask to turn a BLIND eye when it happened!

How can the KSU & TKSU or PAT/PTU go about singing new and mega billion RM of procurement dealings without the Def Minister & Dy Minister knowing!

It has never been a secret that MINDEF is a cash cow for UMNO in particular and a honey pot for BN!
NEVER EVER A SECRET!

Even S.G. Beng can see it!

Why now only the current Def Min is trying to clean up the books? Why now after years of dirt.The case of the missing engine is nothing as compared to the 50+ Skyhawks story, even more intriguing!

Bought, paid for, never took flight never used it and never owned it! Malaysia oh Malaysia. Dato' Pak Chad please tell us all it is not true!

My ears heard that the total cost of the most expensive TEKUN - KD Indrapura is more than RM200 Million, from the day it was bought, refurbished, repaired after the first fire and till it burnt itself to death!

When are we going to see a civilian UMNO contractor being hauled up to the courts and found guilty on corruption charges with Mindef dealings or any other Departments or Ministry for that matter!???

WHO IS GOING AFTER WHO, WHO IS GETTING A BAD NAME, WHO IS SEEKING VENGENCED, WHO IS THROWING THE SHIT OUT, WHO STANDS TO GAIN,WHO WILL TAKE THE FALL, WHOSE HEAD WILL BE LOBBED OFF?

IS THERE A BIGGER PICTURE THAT YOU AND I AND ALL OF US DOES NOT NOW IS JUST ABOUT TO HAPPEN?

OR JUST A RED HERRING TO CLOSE ANOTHER BIGGER ISSUE WHICH IS ON GOING - another DISTRACTION TACTICS!

komando said...

WHERE IS THE SKYHAWK?

Taken verbatim from Rights-2-write by Maj Dr. Raffick ( R )


The 45 aircraft that was left in the Californian desert was never brought back. It was place under the management of a company in the US. This company ends paying the parking chargers for years.

Sometime between the years 2000 to 2003, RMAF decided to take back the aircraft and sell them off.

Our TUDM officers from KL were sent to look for the aircraft in the desert. They found it but the shocking part is that they no longer legally own the aircraft.

As it turns out, the paperwork involving the purchase went missing and the Air Force were not able to show proof of ownership.

Therefore they could not take out the Skyhawks from the open air parking area. The haggling and tussle over the ownership continued for several years until it became clear that the aircraft ownership cannot be ascertained. The Malaysian government paid for it but did not kept the receipt.

I remember the matter was raised in parliament several years back and unverified reports indicates that the aircraft was sold to an American company for pittance. Maybe our MP’s should revisit this matter again.

My friend was right when he said entire fleet of 45 aircraft disappeared from TUDM Inventory. In actual fact it was not even recorded in the TUDM inventory.

Since it did not go into our books despite paying for it and having no receipt to show proof of payment, then no aircraft actually went missing. The only thing missing is the money for the 55 aircraft!

Dear Dato' Pak Chad...you and I can easily said that we knew about it, now we are no more in the system cos we are retired, can we still bring back the dead to face the jury and the judge?

This case was well known but was never exposed becos a lot of heads would have rolled! It was all hush hush story only!

Dr M - he may have to answer to this, it was his watch way back then, see MINDEF was never clean !

TOLD YOU GUYS BEFORE! CIVILIANS RULE MINDEF, IT IS NOT THE MILITARY TOP BRASSES...THOSE IN UNIFORM ARE JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF FURNITURE AND ANOTHER PAWN IN THE BIG GAMES THAT POLITICIANS PLAY IN OUR BOLEH-LAND!

hussin said...

"some of whom were UMNO businessman". di mana ada umno di situ pasti berlaku kerosakan. "di mana umno berkuasa, di situ melayu merempat". nak defend apa lagi? 52 tahun sudah terbukti maa!

maurice said...

Dear Komando,

Some vague memory of the Skyhawk Project.

The 45 Skyhawk aircraft left in the Californian desert were not in flying condition.The were cocoon there under the dry desert condition with the idea that some day it would be taken back to Malaysia to be refurbished by our own MRO company.

After so many years kept in the desert, now for all intent and purpose, they could be considered as scrap metal.

However, it would be interesting to find how much the RMAF had paid for it.

komando said...

SKY HAWKED..

The big million dollar questions is :

"WHY BUY IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE IT?"

JUST LIKE MARRYING A SECOND WIFE JUST TO SHOW OFF, IS IT SO?

WASTING PUBLIC MONEY IS A PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATION OF THIS GOVERNMENT OF 52 YEARS!
THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE A FAST BUCK OUT OF NOTHING..THE POLITICIANS WAY!

Guess this "Skyhawk" case will never see the lights, it has been HAWKED!

The next one to watch is the Main Battle Tanks (MBT) PT71 or whatever it is being renamed as, some quarters said it has 8 different systems combined together and it is much better than the ORIGINAL Polish Tank.

How long a shelf life have they got is my next question!
The project has been on going for more than past 10 years!
Still no tanks!

Whose guidelines & standard are we comparing to I really wonder!

I CAN ONLY TRUST THE WATER TANK & THE FISH TANK AT THIS MOMENT, FOR THEY ARE REAL!

maurice said...

Remember the Domino Theory in the 1970s? Of communist Vietnam sweeping south after the fall of Saigon.

The Skyhawk purchase was made as part of our national preparedness for the perceived threat.It was considered to be the most cost effective as we got the required numbers of jet fighter needed.

Nothing wrong with the idea of bringing back more Skyhawks from the desert to be refurbished by our own local MRO, to add to the number of Skyhawks already operational with the RMAF.

It was supposed to develop our MRO with the Skyhawk refurbishment done locally but somehow the project did not take off.Not sure what were the obstacles but we could make an educated guess of insufficient funds available when the perceived threat had abated, or techical problem in acquiring the refurbishemnt technology from the American company, or simply they wrere better combat aircraft available in the market later to make the refurbishment project unfeasible.

komando said...

Dear Maurice

The Domino theory and the fall of Vietnam..rightfully we were taken for a big ride!
We became suckers!
Who sold to us the story about that theory in the first place?

YES - Bloody Yankees!
They just wanted to sell of scrap metal, have we not been able to see their "modus operandi" after all these years?

Look at Desert Storm - the big stupid idiots paid for every single bullet and ended up buying tons of hard ware to be armed to their teeth after the war!

WHY? They turned Saddam Hussin into a very big monster!
Scared the shit out of them idiots!

USA will sell off all outdated and obselete equipment to any buyer, they make sure they have developed the best and most current before letting anything go!

Look at the F-117 Stealth bomber, after desert storm no more a secret, all was devulged in a documentary!

Till today they continue to use the same old scare tactics, what is happening to IRAN now...they say it is nuclear ready and USA is in grave danger we must take action soon!

Watch the news today! Just a matter of time they will react to Ahmad diNijad's stubborn stance!

So be wise folks, we are no more the wiser I guess..if we still swallow hook, line & sinker all the way!

Even in this country the spins that come out is no different from the Yankees mouths. The truth is very much sort after!

maurice said...

Dear Komando,

Please do not blame the Americans.

At that time, they offered the latest combat aircraft as well, the Corsair which was much more expensive than the Skyhawk.

Because of insufficient funds, the RMAF could not accept the Corsair.The RMAF opted for the Skyhawk as it fulfilled the quantity required for defence preparedness and was less expensive than the Corsair.

Nobody sold us the Domino Theory.Remember this was in the 1970's at the height of the Emergency.The CPM was hurting us economically and militarily.The fall of Saigon lends credence to the theory of imminent communist onslaught on Malaysia.

About the US selling inferior equipment, please ask the RMAF about their F18's and the Army about their 105mm M102.The maintenance record of these two systems speak for itself the reliability of the US equipment compared to European and Russian systems.

It is wortwhile remembering the US sells their military equipment government-to-government basis bypassing brokers and local agents.No chance for local party to mark-up the price gila-gila like the two French submarines where Razak Beginda's company Perimekar made a whopping RM500 million commission.Obviously this is not French money but money taken from Malaysia given back by the French to Perimekar.

The rakyat should force the government to buy military stuff on a government-to-government basis in order to eradicate corruption in Mindef and the MAF.

komando said...

So sorry Maurice I have never ever trusted the Yankees...say whatever you like...you can say that I am a bias or racists person...!

ONLY A VERY BOG FOOL WILL TRUST THE YANKEES.....THEY ARE THE STOOGE OF YOU KNOW WHO..IF YOU CANT SEE IT I AM SO SORRY FOR YOU..

LOOK WHAT THE OBAMA FELLOW HAS DONE..DID HE DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE...

WAS IT NOT A JOKE OF THIS CENTURY.....A PERSON WHO LOVES WAR AND WAGES WAR GETS A PEACE PRIZE?????!!!!!

PLEASE SEE THE TRUTH AND CLEAR YOUR MINDS ON THIS FELLOW, HE REMAINS IN OFFICE BECAUSE OTHERS (U KNOW WHO) ALLOWS HIM TO, OTHERWISE HE IS JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF DOG SHIT IN THE STATES...!

HE IS NO MORE DIFFERENT TO ANY OTHER previous YANKEE PRESIDENT...IF YOU OR ANYONE IS HOPING THINGS WILL CHANGE, SORRY FOLKS ALL OF YOU ARE IN FOR A VERY BIG DISAPPOINTMENT IN LIFE !

maurice said...

Dear Komando,

If ever we are going to have any hope of success in the crusade against corruption, we better stick to the principle of truth.The truth must be told to end corruption.

We will have major problems if we do not want to accept the truth.Then people will just brand us as another group of hypocrites.

Hang Jebat said...

Merry Xmas!

Even if a Melayu in US became President, he/she too will turn into Yankees! That's a fact about US. And I will drink to that! Cheers!

ilman said...

Salam. Well Dato' its great for you to be in touch with your profession and I guess as a pleasant General, your friends! Congratulation!I have been reading your column for a while before I am really move to join you tonight.
Firstly, about redress of wrong. I believe I was one of those whom wrote such letter when I was in PULADA. Obviously, "Timun and Durian", anyway I was happy with it, no regret. I thought Dato' was aware when U joined PULADA shortly before I was booted out to Bn again after serving as OC wing for 3 years.
Secondly, about this engine jet issue, I tend to symphatize with the writer whom admitted for having business with the Air Force to convince on the effort by the CDF. I AGREE WITH HIM. Anyway, I am not clear on the fact of ACCOUNTABILITY and loyalty to the service. Obviously, before becoming Air Force Chief, he has to be the Deputy Air Force Chief. So, during this period of time or earlier, why was such so call CLEANING EFFORT not carried out, waiting until he became the Chief.?. The point of accountability and loyalty to the service if I may say doubtful. How about if we look into the attitude aspect, if so.
However, he went on to be appointed as CDF when at that point of time the engine already missing ( as reported by media lately). The CDF then further passed a remark, " It is just the tip of the iceberg" ( Again as reported by media).What is the meaning of this? or I am just continuously confused?

I am also shocked over the report saying that it is the work of lower ranks, Sgt? Which Sgt? Is it Sgt Saunders in the TV series Combat sometime ago, or P Ramlee's Sgt Hassan?

As a matter of curiosity, is it wise to wait for the report?

TQ. Salam

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

maurice said...

Dear -I.L.-,

Please do not underate the other ranks, in particular the S/Sgts, Sgts, and the Cpls.

Remember Hitler and Napoleon were Corporals before.

The SNCO's and NCO's need to be looked after, otherwise we could be in for a lot of trouble in the future!

If it is true that the engine theft is the work of SNCO's and NCO's, it is still not too late for the RMAF to go basics, to restore discipline among the rank and file.

ilman said...

Dear Maurice Sir,
I fully agree with U.
However in this case where are the officers have gone to! If I remember those days correctly, is not wise for Officers to blame the ORs. Instead they should be supervised, guided and control.
Or is it because sometime Officers has too much GAYA only OK.
In one of the reply above, the writer mention about a number of Officers and others being dismissed just to emphasised on the cleaning effort done. I have this to say, doesnt mean the person who chopped so many people is good. A person who is able to control and avoid blunders is a lot better. Once happened, dont point fingers la...is just like ludah ke langit!

maurice said...

Dear -L.I.-,

I think what had happened there was a complete breakdown of discipilne among the officers and other ranks.Everyone involved took advantage of the situation as there was no supervision and control from the top.

It is a classic case of the leadership losing control of his organization because the leadership itself was abusing the aircraft procurement system.

All those sacked got what they deserved.My only regret, the penalties given not heavy enough.
Other countries like the PRC or Saudi Arabia know how to deter the their citizens from commiting such an act.

Now the Chief of Air Force will have to take extreme measures to restore discipline among the officers and rank and file of MLU in order to regain public confidence.

ilman said...

Dear Maurice Sir,
U remain wise and wiser,noted!. However, U are talking about severe penalties! Instead rewarded? Or is it because of KEPENTINGAN NEGARA kot. Shall I say, they know best! TQ and regards.

Jack Lingam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.