MACC asked to probe 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.
“I also urge the audit department to audit this purchase and MACC to investigate if the price is reasonable. I do not know whether the national and Sarawak 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 and Environment and the Forest 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.
“The federal MNRE and FDS 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 said.
“The purported purchase of the plane using the allocation of MNRE and that it will be parked under FDS is therefore irregular and an illegality.”
Meanwhile, Wan Junaidi said he is ready to give full cooperation to the police regarding the matter.
“I am ready to give and tell whatever I know in relation to the purchase of the Diamond aircraft and surveillance equipment added to the aircraft,” he said via text messages yesterday.
“I wish not to comment further and let the police do their work and investigation or research.”
The twin-engine, propellerdriven airplane, developed and manufactured by Austrian company, Diamond Aircraft Industries, can accommodate two technicians and two pilots for each mission.
In late October last year, news of the purchase of this plane was widely reported in all the newspapers in Sarawak. — See Chee How, Batu Lintang assemblyman