KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, has directed the government to cancel its plan to acquire Black Hawk helicopters that are more than 30 years old, describing them as “flying coffins”.
In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, the monarch also criticized the presence of “agents and salesmen” within the Defense Ministry and issued a stern warning: do not attempt to “fool” him. During a parade in Mersing commemorating the 60th anniversary of Malaysia’s Special Service Regiment, the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces urged the Defense Ministry to avoid repeating past mistakes in military procurement. He pointed to the purchase of Skyhawk aircraft in the 1980s as a cautionary example.
Malaysia had reportedly purchased 88 Vietnam War-era SkyHawk jets from the United States, but only 40 were refurbished and entered service. According to state news agency Bernama, the aircraft were eventually retired due to a high accident rate.
Speaking at the 60th anniversary celebration of Malaysia’s Special Service Regiment in Mersing, Sultan Ibrahim questioned the wisdom of repeating such decisions. “Are we going to put our pilots in ‘flying coffins’? Think for yourselves,” he said.
The King expressed strong criticism of the Defense Ministry, claiming it was filled with “agents or former generals who have become salesmen,” and even pointed to textile companies attempting to sell drones. He warned that if procurement continued to rely on inflated prices from middlemen, the existing budget would be inadequate. “So don’t try to fool me,” he cautioned. “If you don’t want to listen to me, I won’t reprimand you anymore after this.” His remarks, posted on his official Facebook page, came in the presence of several key figures including Johor’s Regent Tunku Ismail (the King’s son), Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Malaysian Armed Forces chief Mohd Nizam Jaffar, and army chief Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan.
According to media reports, Malaysia signed a deal in May 2023 to lease four Black Hawk helicopters from a local company, Aerotree Defense and Services. The five-year lease agreement was valued at RM187 million (approximately US$44.4 million).
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