Is Hishamuudin ready to submit a progress report on the RM9 billion LCS scandal to Parliament on Oct. 3

I agree with the Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaacob that it was not unusual to have the budget day in Parliament fixed in early October, as during the time of the fifth Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the budget day in Parliament was always in in September.

Ismail is right as the budget day in Parliament during Abdullah’s premiership were all in September, viz:

Sept. 10, 2004. Sept. 30, 2005. Sept. 7, 2006. Sept. 1, 2007. Sept. 7,2008.

In fact, during the last term of the first premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad from 2000 to 2003, the Budget Day in Parliament all fell in September.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaarfar has confirmed that Parliament will resume on Oct. 3 and that the change in the parliamentary calendar had nothing to do with the holding of early general elections.

Is the Defence Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein prepared to submit his first progress report to Parliament on the RM9 billion littoral combat ships (LCS) scandal, which is developing into a new 1MDB scandal?

Hishammuddin has said that he will report the schedule and progress of LCS construction project in stages.

Hishamuddin has been given six months by the Cabinet in April to mobilise efforts to revive the project – and the six month period is up by October.

Is Hishammuddin in a position to submit his first report on the first day of Parliament on Oct. 3?

Hishammuddin should explain to Parliament why the Defence Ministry has reduced from two LCS to one LCS which must be completed and delivered by the contractor with no additional government funds.

When Hishammuddin appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on 25th January 2022, he spoke about “corporate restructuring” of the RM9 billion LCS contract and that the contractor Boustead Naval Shipyard will have to deliver two LCS without any new cost to the government.

Hishammuddin should also explain to Parliament why he has been unable to convince the Cabinet to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the RM9 billion LCS scandal.