MACC asked to investigate RM35 mln aircraft purchase
KUCHING: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been asked to probe the Forest Department Sarawak’s (FDS) purchase of a Diamond special mission aircraft for aerial surveillance and mapping for RM35 million.
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How said he would go to MACC tomorrow (June 11) to find out if a probe has been carried out on the purchase of the DA42MNG Diamond plane and lodge a complaint if necessary.
"In late October last year, news of the purchase of this plane was widely reported in all the newspapers in Sarawak," he told reporters at the Kuching District police headquarters yesterday after lodging a police report to call for an immediate investigation into the matter.
This follows an online news portal's report on Friday claiming the plane, which is currently undergoing testing by the Malaysia Aviation Commission (Mavcom), will be able to 'fly' soon.
"From our research findings, it appears that the government had paid excessive sums for this light twin engine utility and trainer aircraft, albeit a special mission variant with modification from the standard DA42 aircraft," See explained.
He said from a standard DA42 aircraft to the ultimate special mission model DA42 MPP Guardian (the multipurpose platform variant designed to carry aerial sensing, mapping and surveillance payload), the range of various Diamond aircraft models for the ministry's specified purposes and equipped with sophisticated equipment should be priced between RM3 million and RM6.5 million.
"There is nothing wrong if the price is reasonable and no other parties involved jacked up the price. The aircraft was bought too expensively in this case," he said.
"I also urge the audit departments to audit this purchase and MACC to investigate if the price is reasonable. I do not know whether the national and state audit departments have audited the purchase of this aircraft.
"And I do not know whether the MACC has taken cognition or notice of the publication of the newspaper reports and opened a file to carry out the necessary investigation. If necessary, I will lodge a complaint to help facilitate the investigation," he added.
See said “MAVCOM” is the Malaysia Aviation Commission, established pursuant to the Malaysia Aviation Commission Act 2015 (Act 771), whose tasks are set up under the same Act, primarily to regulate economic matters relating to the civil aviation industry.
“On the other hand, the Federal Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment and the Forestry Department Sarawak are public authorities which, to my understanding, are not involved in the civil aviation industry, and are not carrying out any economic matters relating to the civil aviation industry,” he added.
Therefore, See said the police and the federal Transport Ministry must investigate whether there is/are individual(s) or private person(s) and/or private/ public companies involved in the transaction.
"Investigate also what is/are their arrangements with the federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and the FDS in supplying this allegedly hugely overpriced Diamond plane," he said.
The aircraft was purchased under the 11th Malaysia Plan under the federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Then Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had said the plane would be parked under FDS and managed and maintained by Hornbill Skyways.
According to See, Mavcom's tasks are primarily to regulate economic matters relating to the civil aviation industry.