Leopard 2A6. (Photo: ©Bundeswehr/Trotzki)January 14 2012, Jakarta: Legislator Tubagus Hasanuddin said the House of Representatives had been surprised by media reports on the Defense Ministry’s plan to purchase 100 Leopard tanks from the Netherlands at a cost of nearly $600 million.
“So far, we have not received any official statement from the ministry indicating that they would be buying the tanks,” said Tubagus, a deputy chairman of House Commission I, which oversees defense and foreign affairs.
The lawmaker from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the commission would not issue a decision on the planned purchase until it had more information.
According to Tubagus, the ministry had invited commission members on a visit to the Netherlands a few weeks ago, which the lawmakers had declined.
“The ministry’s invitation to join them on the visit should not be seen as our endorsement of the planned purchase,” he said. “If we wanted to make the visit, we would have done it at our own expense.”
Commission members will explore a possible probe into the political aspects of the procurement, he said.
The planned purchase has been dogged by criticism since being announced a few months ago. Most of the legislators on Commission I have spoken out against it and called on the government to rethink it.
Commission member Yahya Sacawirya, from the Democrats, cited two concerns: the technical specifications of the tank and the procurement process itself.
“We need to consider the use and benefits of such a weapon system and whether it is suitable for conditions here,” he said.
Yahya also warned the Defense Ministry against making the purchase without first receiving the approval of the House. “We need to hear the details behind the plan,” he said.
Source: the Jakarta Globe
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