Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar on Saturday ordered the army to halt plans to purchase decades-old Black Hawk helicopters, describing them as “flying coffins.”
“Do we want to place our pilots in flying coffins? Think for yourself,” Sultan Ibrahim said during a parade in Johor state’s Mersing district marking the 60th anniversary of Malaysia’s Special Service Regiment.
He warned military leaders not to make the same mistake as in the 1980s, when Malaysia purchased 40 used A-4PTM SkyHawk aircraft from the US. The jets suffered from poor serviceability and a high accident rate.
Prioritise safety
“I believe that all of this happened because the defence ministry is full of agents or former generals who have become salesmen. We even have textile firms wanting to sell us drones,” Sultan Ibrahim said in a statement posted on his account on the US social media company Facebook.
The 66-year-old ruler, who is the supreme commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, urged authorities to prioritise the safety and needs of the military rather than the interests of middlemen.
“Don’t waste time purchasing nonsense that does not suit the military’s needs. If you don’t know what the actual price is, ask me first.
“Don’t try to fool me. If you don’t want to listen to me, I won’t reprimand you anymore after this,” he said.
