Why the need to buy expensive aircraft, See queries minister
KUCHING: Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How has asked Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to disclose the price breakdown of the DA42M-NG Diamond Special Mission aircraft, utilities and parts installed and fixed on the aircraft.
He also wanted the minister to explain whether his ministry acquired the aircraft directly from the manufacturer - Austrian company Diamond Aircraft Industries - or purchased it through a consultant party or company.
He also urged the national and state Audit Departments to audit the purchase of this aircraft, which is said to be priced at a hefty RM35 million.
See, who is state PKR vice chairman, said it appears that the government had paid excessive sums for this ‘light twin- engined utility and trainer aircraft’, albeit a special mission variant with modification from the standard DA42 aircraft.
“In fact, for aerial surveillance and mapping purposes, the government should have bought the other model from the same aircraft company, the DA42 MPP Guardian which is the ‘Multi Purpose Platform’ variant designed to carry aerial sensing, mapping and surveillance payload.
“The DA42 MPP Guardian is also a special mission model which can travel for up to 12 hours and comes with a proven and fully certified remote sensing system.
“From a standard DA42 aircraft to the ultimate special mission model DA42 MPP Guardian, the range of various models of the Diamond aircraft for the minister’s specified purposes are priced between RM3 million and RM6.5 million”
“It could not be RM35 million. We have bought it too dearly,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
When contacted, Wan Junaidi confirmed that both the price and the model variant of the aircraft were correct.
See was responding to Wan Junaidi’s revelation that Sarawak would be the first state in the country to have its own fixed-wing plane to provide air surveillance and to monitor illegal logging.
The Santubong MP said the four- seater model DA42M- NG Diamond Special mission aircraft priced at RM35 million would be delivered to the state government soon after final details on the maintenance and fine-tuning of the plane to suit the needs of the state have been agreed on with its manufacturer.
See said that it was unwise to purchase an aircraft for the purposes of aerial surveillance to curb illegal logging activities, and for mapping purposes.
“The minister surely is aware of Google Map and Google Earth ‘ real time’ or ‘ live’ versions which are a lot cheaper to subscribe, easier to use for the same purposes while the technical personnel can monitor and spot illegal logging activities anywhere in Sarawak faster.
“There are also private satellite imaging companies like GeoEye, Digital Globe, Spot Image, ImageSat International and others which are priced a lot less than maintaining an aircraft.
“Why buy an aircraft, and more dearly some more? The ministry should have allocated the money for flash flood mitigation projects in Sarawak which will surely be welcomed by all Sarawakians.”