David Copperfield would have been proud of Malaysia Boleh!

The past few days' news had it that ONE JET ENGINE disappeared into thin air from a Malaysiin armed forces camp.

Today's NST ONLINE reported a David Copperfield's magical replication!

It's now TWO JET ENGINES that had disappeared into thinner air.

I wish someONE generous would bank into my bank account so that when I withdraw from the ATM nex, or sext, time, instead of RM3,000 the sum would read with another extra THREE ZEROES! Like RM3,000,0000!

It's two engines stolen as Najib pledges no cover-up

2009/12/22


KUALA LUMPUR: Not one but two jet-fighter engines, each worth RM50 million, were stolen from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Sungai Besi.

Both engines served as powerplants to the F-5E Tiger II fighter and RF-5E Tigereye reconnaissance jets.


Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the two engines were discovered stolen in May last year. RMAF had lodged a report with the police on Aug 4 last year.


Gani, speaking to the New Straits Times, said police investigation papers would be returned to the Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department today with additional directives.


“They will now focus their investigations into government procedures with regard to the transportation of the engines, the private defence contractor handling it and several other individuals, including Malaysian armed forces personnel.” The A-G’s Chambers had received the investigation papers last month.


Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said there would be no cover-up of the theft, adding that the Defence Ministry had lodged a police report in August last year.


Police had sent Gani a note on the case in May this year. He had given the nod to proceed with investigations in June.


Gani will also ask police to furnish more details on the stolen General Electric J85-21A turbojet engines.


He said the first engine was transported out of RMAF’s Butterworth base to the Sungai Besi base in June 2007 while the second engine was moved out five months later in November.


Both engines were to be kept in a warehouse at the Sungai Besi base before being taken out for maintenance.


The engines were taken out of the Butterworth base by the same private defence contractor handling its maintenance.

Both engines were only discovered stolen along with their maintenance records when RMAF officers wanted to service them in May last year.


RMAF lodged a report with the police in August last year after searching for the engines at all its airbases.


The case was later handled by the Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department in Bukit Aman.


The New Straits Times first highlighted the case of the stolen jet engine on Saturday.


It was learnt that the engines were sold to arms dealers on the black market.


Intelligence reports suggested the engines were later transported to a US-sanctioned Middle Eastern country that was keen on developing its own fighter jet.


Armed forces chief Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin, in confirming the case, had also said that the case was the “tip of the iceberg”.


An audit launched after the case also showed that equipment worth several millions of ringgit were missing.

DESIDERATA:

These Jokers couldn't even get the dates correct -- 2007 or 2008? -- on the occurrence of the thefts.

But there is one forthright general among them yet, BOLDE enough to admit this was only the TIP OF THE ICEBERG. Hey, one Minister may soon blame it on Global Warming!

"Armed forces chief Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin, in confirming the case, had also said that the case was the “tip of the iceberg”.



KLANG: The inventory systems for the three branches of the Malaysian armed forces must always be monitored and updated according to current needs to prevent a recurrence of the loss of the F-5E interceptor aircraft engine.

GROUND VISIT: Ahmad Zahid (second right) with NGV Tech chairman Zulkifli Shariff (fourth left) while visiting the NGV Tech shipyard at Kampung Sinjangkang, Teluk Panglima Garang in Kuala Langat. — Bernama photo (Can u imagine Beatles stylo! -- Desi)

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the systems used by the armed forces had been completely revamped since the disappearance of the engine was realised, and the monitoring aspects with regard to the procedures, inventory and control of the movement of every asset had been tightened.

“The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) particularly must review and improve the asset inventory control system to regain public confidence in the system adopted besides ensuring that a breach will not recur,” he told reporters after visiting the NGV Tech shipyard at Kampung Sinjangkang, Teluk Panglima Garang here yesterday.

He said the disappearance of the engine in 2007 was a complicated and difficult case as it involved an international syndicate which had used RMAF officers and personnel to achieve its objective.

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UPDATEd @2.58PM, after I visited malaysia-today.net, when I sighted this:

Stolen engines case was covered up from the start
NEWS/COMMENTARIES

Tuesday, 22 December 2009

But yet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claims there is no cover up. He was then Defence Minister in Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Cabinet. He should have recommended then for the theft to be announced to the public.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER