Speaking outside Istana Negara alongside other Bersatu members, Wan Saiful said the LCS scandal was a big case that involved huge sums of national funds.
“An RCI is warranted because the names stated in the (Public Accounts Committee) report are those of influential members of the executive who hold positions like Barisan Nasional (BN) adviser and Umno president.
“If investigations are solely carried out by them, there will be unseen hands interfering and casting doubt on its (investigation’s) authority,” he said, adding that an RCI was by far the better path forward to ensure investigations went smoothly.
The LCS project came under heavy scrutiny after Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Wong Kah Woh recently revealed that not a single ship had been completed although Putrajaya had spent RM6 billion on the project, which was given to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd through direct negotiations.
Wan Saiful also called on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to take stern and swift action in establishing an RCI.
“I urge Ismail to establish an RCI with haste, and not to be pressured by, or fearful of those trying to run away,” he said, adding that this was Ismail’s duty as prime minister.
Wan Saiful also urged defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein to provide clarifications on the case should the proposal to debate the LCS scandal in Dewan Negara be approved.
“I am confident that Hishammuddin is not so cowardly as to run away from providing explanations in Dewan Negara,” he said in support of similar calls from Bersatu senator Muhammad Zahid Md Arip in a recent press conference.
Wan Saiful also voiced his appreciation for the support from other parties, like Umno Youth and DAP, for his RCI proposal.
Addressing concerns raised by former defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who said exposure of documents related to the LCS project might affect state secrets, Wan Saiful noted that such sensitivities could be accounted for via an RCI.
“Whatever can be discussed publicly should be, and whatsoever needs to be discussed behind closed doors can be done so in the RCI,” he said, expressing certainty that suitable procedures existed to ensure the matter was discussed appropriately.
On Monday, Wan Saiful urged the government to set up an RCI to investigate the LCS scandal.
He said appropriate action could only be taken against the parties involved following an open inquiry, adding that it was important to ensure the country’s security and sovereignty were not compromised.
Subsequently, Wan Saiful’s calls were also echoed by Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, and Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.