RMAF technical committee decides on air defence procurement, including Black Hawks
He said the government would not sign any contract if it could not be assured of the assets' serviceability.
"They will be fully responsible for its operational readiness, and if it cannot be guaranteed, we will not sign.
"That is clear," he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Earlier today, armed forces chief General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar confirmed that the purchase of four Black Hawk helicopters worth about RM187 million had been cancelled.
The decision followed the decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who ordered the Defence Ministry to scrap the plan to buy 30-year-old helicopters.
Sultan Ibrahim, as Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, had called for the acquisition to be cancelled.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the state of Malaysia's naval assets, revealing that the country is still displaying ships from as far back as 1976.
"I went to Langkawi to see the ships. It's true.
"Even a ship from 1976 was brought in because we have no other ships. Imagine how I felt, spending billions of ringgit, yet we have no ships.
"In 1976, I was still resting in Kamunting, and that same ship is still being used," he said.
Anwar said defence procurement must be conducted transparently, free from excessive reliance on agents and political considerations.
"Negotiate properly, check the costs, and do not add political considerations or personal interests.
"That is why I say procurement must be transparent, we must stop excessive dependence on agents, and we must make the best use of government-to-government (G2G) arrangements," he said.
He was responding to Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau), who had asked about the number of ships in service that are more than 30 years old.
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