Anwar hails progress on LCS project, stresses importance of good governance
LUMUT, June 15 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) construction by Lumut Naval Shipyard (Lunas) at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base here, describing it as commendable.
He said the progress demonstrated the government's strong commitment to prioritising national security assets and reflected the Madani government's emphasis on good governance.
'We regard the RMN as a key line of defence, as our waters are not immune to threats such as terrorism, potential foreign incursions and smuggling. That is why I agreed for the LCS project to continue under the Finance Ministry.
'Previous delays stemmed from weak management, governance issues and corruption. If the management is poor, how can we ensure maritime security? That's why good governance is essential,' he said in his speech at the Kenduri Rakyat programme held in conjunction with the Perak Madani Rakyat Programme 2025 at Shariff Hall, RMN Lumut here today.
Also present was Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Earlier, the prime minister visited the Lunas facility at the RMN base to inspect the ongoing LCS construction works.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the government remains attentive to the need to enhance the country's defence assets, with the Defence Ministry being among the ministries receiving the largest allocations in the annual budget.
'Defence ranks third (in terms of allocation), after education and health. For 2025 alone, RM21.2 billion has been allocated - a significant amount for a developing nation,' he said.
He added that the move reflected the government's appreciation of the sacrifices made by the security forces and was aimed at ensuring national stability, which is crucial for economic growth.
Anwar also said he is often moved when learning of the poor condition of certain security assets that are still in use to safeguard the nation.
'That's why, upon the formation of the Madani Government, I called in all the armed forces chiefs and asked them to outline their priority needs. Based on that, we work to secure sufficient funding to improve our defence machinery and assets,' he said. — Bernama
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