MALAYSIA PROPOSES TO BUY THREE MULTI SUPPORT SHIPS

LANGKAWI (Malaysia), Dec 1 (Bernama) -- The Defence Ministry will give
priority to "friends" in its plan to buy three 'Multi Support Ships' (MSS's) to
shore up the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN)'s armada.

Defence Minister, Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said the company or country that
agreed to transfer technology, experience and provide training to the RMN would
be given priority.

He said the procurement of the vessels would be done via open tender to
"friendly" nations under the 10th Malaysian Plan right up to the 12th Malaysian
Plan.

"The RMN will send a group of officers to make an evaluation to determine
the design and size of the vessel so that it is suitable for use by the
navy.

"Besides that the 'friendly' nation will be given a contract to build one of
the three vessels here to allow for transfer of technology," Ahmad Zahid told
reporters aboard the RMN frigate KD Lekui at Awana Porto Malai here Monday.

He was in Langkawi to monitor preparations for the Langkawi International
Marritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2009) that opens here Tuesday till Dec
5.
Ahmad Zahid however declined to reveal the cost for each of the MSS vessels
except to say that their construction would take 48 months.

"We will take the oppoutunity to learn about the capabilities of the Multi
Role Ship (MRS) from Korea and a Singaporean battleship equipped with
sophisticated missiles," he said.

He said the the three MSSs' were to replace one of its two multiple purpose
ships that was destroyed in Lumut, Perak recently.

Ahmad Zahid said five rulers of Malaysian states and the Sultan of Brunei,
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, have consented to attend LIMA 2009.
-- BERNAMA