MERSING, JOHOR, Malaysia- His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, has directed the Ministry of Defence to scrap plans to acquire ageing Black Hawk helicopters, some over 30 years old.
As the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, His Majesty cautioned the ministry against repeating past errors, referencing the purchase of second-hand SkyHawk aircraft. “Are we going to put our pilots in ‘flying coffins’? Think about it,” he remarked.
His Majesty expressed concerns over the influence of “agents” and former generals acting as “salesmen” within the ministry, noting that even textile companies were attempting to sell drones. “If all purchases go through middlemen, the budget will never suffice. Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. If you ignore my advice, I will not bother to comment again,” he warned.
The royal decree was delivered during His Majesty’s address at the 60th Anniversary Parade of the Special Operations Regiment at Iskandar Camp, Mersing, today (16 August).