'Continue investigation into LCS, or we take to the streets again', says Muda info chief

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) will not hesitate to take to the streets again to protest if the government does not continue investigations into the littoral combat ships (LCS) scandal.

Its information chief Luqman Long said the government should have focused on continuing to investigate the issue instead of hauling those who voiced out about the issue to court.

He said this in light of the case of Muda secretary-general Amir Hariri Abd Hadi who was charged in connection with a protest over the LCS issue, last year.

"Those who were responsible and directly involved in the LCS issue were not charged and instead those who had voiced out for the government to investigate the issue were being charged.

"We believe that this selective prosecution against Amir should to be withdrawn and the government should focus on investigating the issue and open up documents on the development of the LCS ships for the public to see," he said after the mention of Amir's case at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex, today.

Luqman said the country was supposed to receive the six ships by June 2022, but so far only one ship was received.

However, he said the government in a recent announcement said they will be receiving only five ships which was not according to the original plan.

"The government needs to investigate this and explain why would only five ships be delivered compared to the original schedule and plan.

"The investigation must be continued and if it is not, then Muda will not hesitate to take it to the streets again so that attention would be given to the investigation of the LCS issue rather than to investigate Amir," he said.

Meanwhile, Amir said if there were no action taken by the government over the issue, the party would take a more confrontational approach by going to the streets again to hold a protest.

He said this was for the government to give back attention to the issue and ensure that the investigation would run transparently and to bring those who were involved to justice.

"After the Public Accounts Committee revealed the issue, there were many parties urged for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be set up to investigate the case and ensure that those involved would be brought to justice.

"The government before the election said the matter (RCI) had been brought up to the cabinet and now as the government changed, we do not know the update," he said.

On Aug 26, last year, Amir as the organiser of the gathering was charged with failing to notify the authorities about the #ManaKapalLCS protest held in front of the Sogo Complex in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, here at 2pm on Aug 14, the same year.

The charge was framed under Section 9 (1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, with the offence punishable with a maximum fine of RM10,000 under Section 9 (5) of the same act, if convicted.