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Malaysia Defence & Economy Forum

PETALING JAYA: A retired brigadier-general has launched a tirade against the government in the wake of a report that budget cuts are preventing the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) from getting new fighter jets, helicopters and maritime patrol craft.

Speaking to FMT, Mohd Arshad Raji said the government’s inability to maintain the integrity of the armed forces gave a clear sign that the nation was “in trouble”.

“In modern warfare, the air force plays a vital role,” he said. “When air superiority is lost, the land battle becomes worthless.

“The Malaysian Armed Forces’ preoccupation in times of peace is to train for war. War tactics and techniques are highly dynamic. Any new innovation or invention in the weapons system demands new operational tactics and techniques.”

He said upgrades and the acquisition of new assets were essential to keeping the RMAF abreast with the region’s other air forces.

A nation with obsolete and outdated air force assets would be exposed to aerial threats from potential enemies, he added.

DefenseNews reported yesterday that major procurement programmes for the Malaysian Armed Forces had mostly been put on hold. It said this meant that “badly needed” fighters, trainers, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft would unlikely be acquired by the RMAF in the short to medium term.

With more kidnappings taking place off Sabah and Sarawak, the RMAF recently moved a squadron of BAE Hawk 108/208 light attack aircraft to East Malaysia.

Concerns have been expressed that the thinning of resources comes amid threats arising from lawlessness in the southern Philippines and China’s aggressive stance on issues over disputed islands in the South China Sea.

The government allocated RM15.1 billion to the Defence Ministry under Budget 2017. Of this, RM1.8 billion is for asset maintenance. DefenseNews noted that the 2017 allocation represented a 13% drop from 2016’s budget.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com ... s-retired-brig-gen/
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So now Navy too?

Malaysian naval power suffers budget woes

By: Mike Yeo, March 17, 2017

MELBOURNE, Australia — Malaysia’s centerpiece plan for the restructure and recapitalization of its Navy has also been adversely affected by the country’s budget woes, leaving most of it underfunded or unfunded altogether.

The so-called 15-to-5 plan, unveiled in 2015, calls for a reduction of the Royal Malaysian Navy order of battle from 15 to five classes of ships and submarines, which it hopes will trim sustainment costs by retiring older ships and reducing the number of ship classes operated by the RMN by 2030.

The five ship classes will ideally consist of 12 French-designed littoral combat ships, 18 Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels, 18 Chinese-designed littoral mission ships, three multirole support ships of an as-yet undetermined design and four submarines.

Of these, only six lightly-armed Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels are already in service together with two French Scorpene diesel-electric submarines. Malaysia has also ordered six littoral combat ships based on the French Gowind 2500 design under a $2 billion contract signed in 2011, with two ships in various stages of construction at Malaysia’s Boustead Naval Shipyard.

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/malaysian-naval-power-suffers-budget-woes
 
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Malaysia has most bloated civil service in the world
FMT Reporters
February 1, 2017

Second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani admits salaries and pensions of civil servants are becoming a strain on the government.

KUCHING: The Malaysian civil service is right at the top when it comes to the size of the civil service.

There is one civil servant for every 19.37 people in the country, according to Second Finance Minister Johari Abdul Ghani.

A Borneo Post report said the proportion of civil servants to the national population in other countries such as Singapore is 1 to 71.4 people; Indonesia 1:110; Korea 1:50, China 1:108, Japan 1:28, Russia 1:84 and the United Kingdom 1:118.

The bloated civil service of 1.6 million has caused government expenditure to rise yearly, The Borneo Post quoted Johari as having told the Chinese-language Oriental Daily.

Despite the fact that salaries and pensions to civil servants continue to soar, the government has no plans to reduce the number of civil servants, according to Johari.

“One of the issues that we have to address is the ever-increasing government operating costs and expenses.

“For example, we have about 1.6 million civil servants, which is the world’s largest proportion of civil service,” Johari was quoted as having said.

“In 2003, the pay of public servants totalled RM22 billion, but it increased to RM74 billion by 2016. In 2003, the pension of civil servants was RM5.9 billion, and in 2016 the amount soared to RM19 billion,” he was quoted as saying.

Johari acknowledged that payments would continue to increase in future while the government’s revenues would gradually decline.
“In particular, revenues from the palm oil and natural gas industries, which generated profits of about RM65 billion in 2014, fell sharply to RM30 billion in 2016.

“We will not reduce our existing civil service. Instead, we should encourage civil servants to undertake more jobs in their respective departments to increase their productivity,” Johari was quoted as having told Oriental Daily.

Bernama reported last March that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim had told parliament that as at December 2014, the ethnic composition of the civil service was as follows: 78.8% Malays, Bumiputera Sabah (6.1%), Bumiputera Sarawak (4.8 %), Chinese (5.2 %), Indians (4.1 %), Other Bumiputera (0.3%) and Others (0.7%).
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...e-in-the-world/

When the civil servants are so bloated, it is either the employment sectors aren't so diversified, the civil services are ineffective that they need that many people, or the population are lazy that they'd rather work for money eating sectors such as civil services.
 
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Merdeka.com - Lama menghilang, Raja Bomoh kini muncul kembali saat hubungan Malaysia dan Korea Utara tengah memanas. Kehadirannya mengejutkan sejumlah jurnalis yang sedang menunggu di depan kamar mayat Rumah Sakit Kuala Lumpur.

Tanpa banyak bicara, dia langsung menggelar ritual dengan menggunakan teropong bambu dan kelapa. Di hadapan awak media, pria bernama asli Ibrahim Mat Zin ini mengaku ingin melindungi negaranya dari gempuran rudal Korea Utara.

Pengakuan dukun berjuluk "Raja Bomoh Sedunia" itu membuatnya jadi pusat perhatian, bahkan bahan pergunjingan banyak orang. Tetapi dia bergeming, sembari mengklaim sudah melindungi Malaysia selama tujuh dekade, jauh sebelum kemerdekaan Malaysia.

"Saya tidak butuh uang. Saya berdoa untuk memagari Malaysia," aku lelaki yang kini berusia 86 tahun itu dalam wawancaranya dengan The Sunday Times.

Berkat aksi kleniknya itu, bomoh Ibrahim mengaku berhasil melindungi negaranya dari serangan rudal. Bahkan membuat senjata mematikan dari negara komunis tersebut gagal mencapai target dan jatuh sebelum mencapai Malaysia.

"Kita tidak punya senjata modern seperti Korea (Utara). Jika kita sampai perang bersenjata, kita akan kalah. Tapi kita menggunakan metode kuno untuk memagari udara, bumi dan air, sehingga rudal itu akan gagal dan tidak mencapai Malaysia," jelasnya.

Namanya menjadi dikenal banyak orang ketika melakukan ritual nyeleneh saat hilangnya pesawat Malaysia Airline pada Maret 2014 lalu. Dia membuat terkejut pengamanan dan pengunjung di Bandara Internasional Kuala Lumpur.

Aksinya tetap sama, membawa air zam-zam, dua buah kelapa, sebuah tongkat dan karpet ajaib. Dia duduk di atas karpet seakan sedang terbang di atas permadani mencari kapal yang hilang tersebut. Dia mengklaim telah menemukan jejak pesawat yang hilang itu.

Ketika didekati para awak media setempat, Ibrahim enggan membeberkan temuan dari ritualnya itu. Prosesi ritual yang dilakukan bersama salah satu asistennya itu hanya dilakukan sekitar 30 menit.

Dukun itu mengaku tersentuh hatinya untuk ikut mencari pesawat yang mengangkut 239 penumpang itu. Merasa mempunyai kemampuan yang sangat sakti, Ibrahim mengatakan mampu menemukan letak pesawat yang diketahui terdapat 12 warga negara Indonesia tersebut.

Rupanya ritual tersebut jadi perbincangan publik, bahkan pemberitaan internasional. Pemerintah dan sejumlah ulama memperingatkan agar dia tidak mengulangi perbuatannya lagi.

Meski sudah disemprit, Ibrahim kembali menggelar ritual di Pulau Sembilan, Perak, mencoba memanggil arwah para korban pesawat MH370.

Dalam video yang diupload situs Malaysia suara.tv, Ibrahim dan empat lelaki lainnya menaiki motor boat. Seorang pria tampak meneropong dengan batang bambu ke arah lautan.

Ada juga adegan seorang pria mencoba mencari sesuatu di laut berbekal tongkat. Lalu beberapa orang menggotong kentongan besar dan sesekali mengumandangkan azan ke arah lautan.

Kini, soal pesawat yang hilang itu, Ibrahim menyatakan, "Pesawat itu berada di dunia paralel. Mereka akan hilang selama 25 tahun sebelum akhirnya kembali, tetapi orang di dalamnya tetap hidup karena perbedaan udara, sebulan sama halnya dengan sehari bagi mereka."

Source : https://www.merdeka.com/dunia/sesum...sa-temukan-mh370-dan-tangkal-rudal-korut.html
(hebat je.. bise nak tangkal nuklir korea)


SINGAPORE: The efforts by a self-styled Bomoh King of the World to find the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane and to save Malaysia from a North Korean invasion with coconuts and bamboo cannons have catapulted him into the limelight and raised mocking laughter.

But Ibrahim Mat Zin, in all seriousness, claims that he has in fact been protecting Malaysia from harm for seven decades - from even before the country's independence.

"I don't want money. I pray to ring-fence Malaysia," he told The Sunday Times in an interview, claiming to have turned 86 on Thursday.

"We don't have modern weapons like (North) Korea. If we go to war with weapons, we will lose. But we use ancient methods to fence the air, the earth and the water, so that missiles will go missing and not reach Malaysia."



Videos of his rituals began going viral since MH370 went missing in March 2014, providing a lighthearted moment for many people amid the deep anguish over the missing plane.

The best-known techniques of the Raja Bomoh Sedunia Nujum (Clairvoyant Shaman King of the World) include looking through bamboo telescopes and waving coconuts around.

He has been mocked by urbane Malaysians and criticised by Muslim scholars, who declared his methods to be haram - outlawed by Islam.

But Ibrahim insists his methods are in line with Islamic teachings. He cited the work of other Malay faith healers and medicine men over the decades, and claimed that government officials, including Malaysia's first two prime ministers, had in fact requested his help.

He refused to disclose which officials requested his help in the MH370 mystery or in the ongoing row with North Korea over the murder of its citizen, Kim Jong-nam.

Asked about MH370, Ibrahim said: "The plane is in a parallel realm. It will be missing for 25 years before it returns, but the people may still be alive because the air is different, a month is like a day to them."

He said this was the first time he was revealing this to anyone.

Despite outlandish claims such as these, Malay shamans like Raja Bomoh - who says he is a fifth-generation shaman - commands wide following in Malaysia.

Thousands of medicine men are still sought out by the majority Malay community, despite warnings from Islamic authorities that many of them deal in black magic.

The most well-known bomoh outfit in Malaysia is Darussyifa' (House of Healing), run by followers of the late Datuk Haron Din, spiritual leader of PAS until his death last September.

Despite growing Islamic formalism and puritanism - a push to introduce Islamic criminal law is gaining momentum and being supported by the ruling Umno party - these traditional Malay practices are seeing a revival, according to social anthropologist Eddin Khoo.

He said the Malay psyche has been displaced in modern times and is reaching out for identity.

"Some seek out religion because it gives great strength to those feeling victimised. But others reach back into their roots.

"There is a power struggle between different influences in Malay society and people do go to shamans for advice because Islamic scholars are very aloof from the people," said Khoo, who runs Pusaka, an NGO working to preserve the viability of Malay art forms.

Ibrahim openly accuses Islamic leaders of oppressing and manipulating Muslims. Khoo said so-called "heathen" Malay practices that people like Ibrahim retain are a challenge to Muslim clerics, who have their own black-and- white Islamic narratives.

"Malay traditional culture is inherently liberal. Many of their practitioners loathe political control and want to be left to their own devices.

"But should Islamic authorities try to stymie their activities, there will be resistance," said Khoo. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network


source : http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nati...f-styled-bomoh-king-of-the-world-have-appeal/
 
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Tentera Komando Melayu .. A Spirit of Malay Supremacy

 
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LIMA 2017: CSIC discloses further details of Littoral Mission Ship proposal for Malaysia

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A model of the Littoral Mission Ship proposal for Malaysia, on show for the first time at LIMA 2017 in Langkawi. Source: IHS Markit/Ridzwan Rahmat
Key Points
  • A Chinese state-owned shipbuilder has shed more light on its Littoral Mission Ship proposal for Malaysia
  • Details point to a lightly armed platform that can be quickly configured for a wide spectrum of missions
An official from China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) has disclosed further details of the Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) configuration it is proposing for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

The company, which will be working with Malaysian shipbuilder Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) on the project, is also displaying a model of the LMS for the first time at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Malaysia that runs from 21 to 25 March 2017.

According Pengfei Ren, a deputy general manager from the company's No 2 Military Product Department, the LMS will have an overall length of 68.8 m and displace about 680 tonnes at full load. The vessel will have a top speed of 22 kt, and a standard range of about 2,000 n miles at 15 kt.

The LMS can be armed with either a 20 mm or 30 mm naval gun in a remote-controlled weapon station (RWCS) turret as a primary weapon, and can accommodate two 12.7 mm machine gun positions on the deck area behind the vessel's bridge.

The platform can carry one 20 ft containerised mission module on deck in the aft section, and can deploy and recover two rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) from launchers located at stern. This gives the ship the flexibility to be configured for a variety of missions including search-and-rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and maritime surveillance operations.

Pengfei was however not able to give an estimate on the ship's complement, saying that this is still under discussions with the Malaysian government and BNS.

He has also declined to say if the platform's main weapon system will be sourced from China.

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http://www.janes.com/article/68870/...f-littoral-mission-ship-proposal-for-malaysia
 
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Military comparison Malaysia vs Singapore ...
Indonesia ..... Forget it ...:lol:

 
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Should be processed quickly by our Najib .. if not .. I am affraid ... Indonesia will also come to join the party and to request that "Bird" to Pak Arab ... (as they "usually" did to US and other countries) ...:lol:
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Kuwaiti Hornets

Marhalim Abas March 26, 2017 Malaysia - RMAF

SHAH ALAM: Kuwaiti Hornets? There is a possibility that the excess fighter aircraft offered by Saudi Arabia are actually surplus Kuwaiti F/A-18 C/D Hornets. Former Combat AirForces editor Alan Warnes, who came for LIMA 17, tweeted today that “the RMAF has been offered surplus F/A-18C/D by Kuwait”.

The KAF’s multirole F/A-18C/Ds would be a good fit as the RMAF flies eight F/A-18Ds. The new RMAF Chief wants to reduce no of diff types too

Hornet.jpg

Hornet tweet.
Warnes did not state where he got the information on the Kuwaiti Hornets. This is interesting as in answers to my questions for LIMA 17, specifically on the Kuwaiti Hornets, the reply from RMAF chief Jen Affendi Buang was:

RMAF already identified shortlisted new aircraft for its MRCA program. Currently, there is no plan in acquiring used aircraft to be used in country

ASk.jpg

A screenshot of the Q&A
It was, for this reason, I did not pursue the issue further during LIMA 17. Only to be sucker punched like this. So what gives? I am not sure but it will be a very interesting a couple of weeks doesn’t it?

And as for the surplus helicopters offered by the Saudis, it is likely to be Blackhawks based on conversations with several industry sources. But it is still early days, I was told.

— Malaysian Defence
 
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Should processed quickly by our Najib .. if not .. I am affraid ... Indonesia will also come to join the party and to request that "Bird" to Pak Arab ... (as they "usually" did to US and other countries) ...:lol:
-----
Kuwaiti Hornets

Marhalim Abas March 26, 2017 Malaysia - RMAF

SHAH ALAM: Kuwaiti Hornets? There is a possibility that the excess fighter aircraft offered by Saudi Arabia are actually surplus Kuwaiti F/A-18 C/D Hornets. Former Combat AirForces editor Alan Warnes, who came for LIMA 17, tweeted today that “the RMAF has been offered surplus F/A-18C/D by Kuwait”.

The KAF’s multirole F/A-18C/Ds would be a good fit as the RMAF flies eight F/A-18Ds. The new RMAF Chief wants to reduce no of diff types too

Hornet.jpg

Hornet tweet.
Warnes did not state where he got the information on the Kuwaiti Hornets. This is interesting as in answers to my questions for LIMA 17, specifically on the Kuwaiti Hornets, the reply from RMAF chief Jen Affendi Buang was:

RMAF already identified shortlisted new aircraft for its MRCA program. Currently, there is no plan in acquiring used aircraft to be used in country

ASk.jpg

A screenshot of the Q&A
It was, for this reason, I did not pursue the issue further during LIMA 17. Only to be sucker punched like this. So what gives? I am not sure but it will be a very interesting a couple of weeks doesn’t it?

And as for the surplus helicopters offered by the Saudis, it is likely to be Blackhawks based on conversations with several industry sources. But it is still early days, I was told.

— Malaysian Defence

Lel drama directed by hishamuddin
Screenshot 2017-03-27 08.08.54.png
 
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Rafale, Eurofighter Not Shortlisted In Malaysian MRCA Jet Competition: Defence Minister


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Malaysian Treasury secretary-general Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah Being Helped Into a Rafale at LIMA

Malaysia’s defence minister Hishamuddin Hussain has squashed reports that the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon had been shortlisted for the Malaysian air force’s multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) requirement.

Asked if the ministry would settle for Eurofighter Typhoon by BAE Systems or the Rafale by Dassault Aviation, he said the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Saab Gripen “are still in the running”.

The defence minister was quoted by a Malaysian publication, Star as having made the comments during the concluding press conference of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) show.

The minister’s statement comes amidst wild speculation that the four year old competition had been narrowed down to French and European choices.

The presence of Saab and Boeing at the LIMA show where they spoke about the relative merits of their respective aircraft further consolidated the view that they were still in the running.

Dassault and BAE Systems, the companies leading the Rafale and Eurofighter competitions respectively were most active in terms of PR and visibility. The former more so.

Representatives of Dassault were seen handing over Rafale gift packages to anybody in a Malaysian military uniform. Rafale also took Malaysian government’s Treasury secretary-general Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah on a joy ride in the two-seater aircraft. Abdullah later told the media, “This is the first time I have ever been on board a jet fighter and it is such a fun experience.”

Endorsing the aircraft, he said that the Dassault Rafale was a quality modern jet fighter, which was fitted with the latest technologies that make it a highly capable platform on the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

“I hope the Defence Ministry will seriously consider obtaining the aircraft in the future,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

Eurofighter on the other hand had an aircraft on static display and an audio visual and simulator presentation at its stand where its representatives thanked the British government for taking up Typhoon’s procurement case with Kuala Lumpur.

http://www.defenseworld.net/news/18...et_Competition__Defence_Minister#.WNolJlV97IU
 
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LIMA 2017: MMEA modernisation may follow navy's lead

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The first NGPC, Bagan Datuk, was displayed at LIMA 2017. Source: IHS Markit/Michele Capeleto

The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency's (MMEA's) modernisation plan may follow the standardisation path set by the navy, Jane's understands.

Speaking with Jane's at the 2017 LIMA Exhibition in Langkawi and commenting on the New Generation Patrol Craft (NGPC) programme, the CEO of Destini Armada (a subsidiary of Destini Berhad), Alastair J Bisset, confirmed that "production is proceeding according to plan".

The NGPC is an ongoing acquisition project for the MMEA, currently covering the supply of six 44 m long patrol craft based on a Fassmer design. The NGPC is the first vessel in the service to mount an integrated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launcher, in front of the bridge and with a recovery net aft.

The UAV in question is Thales' Fulmar X, a small fixed-wing system which will greatly enhance the NGPC's ability to conduct search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. The first launch of the Fulmar happened on 18 March, Jane's understands.

"The successful integration of systems [including the UAV] is always a big risk in a shipbuilding project, but everything went smooth during sea trials, so we are confident about the vessel," Bisset said.

"If you look at the ships currently in service with the MMEA the average age of these vessels is around 25-30 years, so they will need to be changed soon," he explained.

"As much as the [Royal Malaysian Navy] RMN is standardising its assets, the MMEA will do the same: they will have the smaller inshore interceptors and [rigid hull inflatable boats] RHIBs, the [offshore patrol vessels] OPVs to support with air operations, and then the ocean-capable patrol craft [NGPC]."

The navy has stated plans to transition from the current structure with 15 classes of ships in service to one with five classes by 2030, the so-called 15-to-5 plan.

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http://www.janes.com/article/69014/lima-2017-mmea-modernisation-may-follow-navy-s-lead
 
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