Who defends the Ministry of Defence?

ARCHIVES 2009

By admin-s On Dec 21, 2009

DEC 21 — It is simply breathtaking. And it would have been laughable, if it wasn’t such a serious matter.

By Mariam Mokhtar (The Malaysian Insider)

We express disbelief and incredulity when the RMAF base in Sungei Besi “lost” a jet engine.

We are not talking about the run-of-the-mill pens taken from the stationery cupboard, or the toilet rolls from housekeeping, items commonly smuggled out in a shirt-pocket or handbag.

It is not something that one can load into the boot of the car and drive off with. It requires special lifting equipment.

We are referring to a jet engine. It is probably longer than the width of my terrace house, and as heavy, if not heavier than my car.

The jet engine was supposed to be stored at the Sungei Besi military air-base, not just in an ordinary garden shed.

So were people sauntering in and out of the base, just like at my local pasar? No checks, no paperwork, no security detail? Even my mechanic, Ah Fatt, has better security when I leave my car with him, for repairs, in his zinc-shack garage.

Furthermore, the maintenance and service documents also went missing. This is a targeted attack.

I would be interested to know how the safe was broken into. And, if other things from the safe were taken. Several people having the combination to the safe is like sharing a secret with one other — before long, the whole world knows about it.

But, more importantly, this jet engine could be the least of our Ministry of Defence’s problems.

The other “lost” items could be more serious and potentially more damaging — like navigational systems; Or positions of our defence installations that could be used against us, or be used against our friendly neighbours. Or important classified sensitive data. Who knows?

But, I am appalled by the Defence Minister’s reaction. Did he not realise the significance of his words when he said “a group of low-ranking officers were in cahoots with civilians in the well- planned theft and sale of the RM50 million engine”?

Could he be downplaying the whole debacle? Or did he take us for fools by suggesting that only “low-ranking” officials were involved? Did he also think we are easily swayed by his words that suggest the matter is being dealt with?