Berita terbaru mengenai peristiwa tersebut melaporkan kenyataan dari Dato Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berikut:
Zahid: Stolen jet engine sold to foreign companyBerita seperti ini boleh dijangka akan menarik tuduhan dari pelbagai pihak, terutama pembangkang ke arah Perdana Menteri Dato Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak sebagai bertanggungjawab kepada kehilangan ini.
BAGAN DATOH, Dec 19 – The Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) F-5E fighter jet engine missing since 2007 was sold to an international company based in South America, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the company was believed to have hired an agent to bring the RM50 million engine out of the country.
“The ministry will take legal action at the international level to charge the company involved.
“Stern action will also be taken against the RMAF personnel involved for betraying the country," he told reporters after launching an environmental programme here today.
Ahmad Zahid confirmed that all documents pertaining to the sale of the engine had been obtained by the police.
“The international company was interested in buying the engine because it was cheap, as it was a spare part categorised as faulty and would have to be repaired,” he said.
Earlier, Zahid said the loss was detected in 2007, and internal investigations were undertaken by Mindef while police also probed the matter.
“The investigations revealed RMAF’s logistics system was foolproof. However, the shady activity might have been carried out staff in the lower rungs in cahoots with outsiders,” he told reporters after launching the Penang and south Kedah territorial army company, here today.
He said as the matter was still under investigation, RMAF could not give detailed information and besides legal issues were also involved.
“Should there have been any accidents involving any of the engines, the whole system will be investigated and this also applies to the disappearance of assets whereby related assets will be investigated,” he said.
Local dailies reported today that police had arrested four individuals, including RMAF officers, in connection with the disappearance of an F-5E fighter jet engine worth about RM50 million from the Matra 1 Warehouse at Sungai Besi Airbase.
The service and maintenance records for the engine was also reported to be missing, and were believed to have been sold to another party in Europe.
Zahid said the armed forces had also reorganised its systems since the loss and more frequent monitoring on procedures, inventory, and control of assets had been put in place.
He added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was being updated on the progress of the investigations. – Bernama
Ada secara terus terang dan ada secara tidak langsung seperti dengan cara menuntut jawapan.
Dari perspektif politik, persoalan yang timbul adalah bagaimana Angkatan Muda Keadilan boleh tahu akan perkara ini sebelum diketahui akhbar?
Bagaimanakah boleh berlaku kebocoran maklumat sedemikian dalam MINDEF? Kenapa kebocoran ini boleh berlaku pada tahun ini? Ianya seolah-olah satu usaha terancang untuk memalukan Najib yang diatur bersama dengan AMK.
Sebelum jawatan Menteri Pertahanan disandang oleh Zahid, jawatan ini dipegang oleh bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Atas permintaan Abdullah dan tanpa restu Najib, Zahid juga telah menawarkan diri untuk bertanding menentang Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin untuk jawatan Timbalan Presiden UMNO pada pemilihan UMNO yang lepas.
Secara kebetulan atau tidak, Zahid dilaporkan oleh beberapa blog sebagai menyatakan akan melobi untuk Khairy Jamaluddin dilantik sekurang-kurangnya jawatan Timbalan Menteri.
Cita-cita Khairy nampaknya tidak terlaksana kerana khabar angin terbaru kencang mengatakan Najib tidak akan melantik Khairy ke kabinet.
Adakah ini balas dendam terhadap Najib dengan mendedahkan sesuatu yang diluar bidang Najib untuk mengawal? Pada zaman pentadbiran Abdullah pun ada berlaku kehilangan jet enjin kapalterbang penumpang di hangar MAS.
Apa sekali pun andaian, Zahid nampaknya tidak cekap menangani keadaan. Ianya seolah-olah Zahid menikam belakang boss. Ia bukan pertama kali Zahid lakukan ke atas ketuanya.
Zahid adalah antara yang paling vokal mahu Rahim Tamby Chik meletak jawatan sebagai Ketua Pemuda UMNO ekoran satu skandal pada tahun awal 90an. Akhirnya Nazri Aziz dinaikkan Pemangku Ketua dan Zahid dinaikkan ke Pemangku Naib Ketua. Kedudukan itu kemudiannya membolehkan diri naik ke jawatan Ketua Pemuda pada pemilihan parti berikut.
Semasa memegang jawatan Ketua Pemuda UMNO, dia mengikut arahan Anwar Ibrahim untuk memalukan Perdana Menteri Dr Mahathir dengan sindiran korupsi, kronisma, dan nepotisma. Kemudian rupanya terdedah Zahid pun turut sama mendapat projek pengswastaan kerajaan.
Adakah kali ini giliran Najib untuk ditikam dari belakang oleh Zahid? Jika benar, untuk siapa Zahid lakukan? Anwar Ibrahim atau Abdullah Badawi?
