HEARSAY ?

IS IT TRUE? WHERE ARE THE SKYHAWKS?

Dear Editor,

My conversation with a retired Air Force General about the missing F5E jet engine led to me to an interesting story. I was intrigued when he told me that there is nothing to be shocked about a missing engine when an entire fleet of aircraft went missing from the RMAF inventory. Entire fleet of aircraft! What was he talking about?

I thought he was kidding and making his usual jokes about aircraft missing from the radar screen but when he said that it was missing from the RMAF inventory that led me to place a few calls.

It appears that via a special G to G arrangement, the Malaysian government bought 80 A4 Skyhawks from the USAF in the 80’s. They were delivered to us at the beginning of 1984. These are working aircraft with plenty of mileage to go.

Thirty-five aircraft were brought back to Malaysia and were used in the service. A few dropped from the sky, one went missing over the South China Sea (Lt. Wahi) and the rest were used until they could not be used again. Some became spare parts. The balance (45 jets) were left in the California desert parked under the scorching sun. They were never brought back.

The 45 aircraft that were left in the Californian desert were never brought back. They were placed under the management of a company in the US. This company ends paying the parking charges for years.

Sometime between the years 2000 and 2003, the RMAF decided to take back the aircraft and sell them off. Our RMAF officers from KL were sent to look for the aircraft in the desert. They found them but the shocking part was that the RMAF no longer legally owned the aircraft.

As it turns out, the paperwork involving the purchase has gone missing and the RMAF was not able to show proof of ownership. Therefore, they could not take out the Skyhawks from the open air parking area.

The haggling and tussle over the ownership continued for several years until it became clear that the aircraft ownership cannot be ascertained. The Malaysian government paid for it but had not kept the receipt.

I remember the matter was raised in Parliament several years back and unverified reports indicate that the aircraft were sold to an American company for a pittance. Maybe our MP’s should revisit this matter again.

My friend was right when he said an entire fleet of 45 aircraft disappeared from RMAF's inventory. In actual fact, it was not even recorded in the RMAF's inventory. Since it did not go into our books despite our having paid for them and having no receipt to show proof of payment, then no aircraft actually went missing! The only thing missing is the money for the 45 aircraft!

Coming back to the missing RM50 million engine which is fixed on a USD 2 mill aircraft, I am perplexed to read in the papers today that a Brigadier General and his 40 men was asked to leave the service early. (Sounds like Ali Baba and the 40 thieves). They were not charged. There was no court martial.

It appears the General and several others lost their pensions but upon appeal got it back. What the heck is wrong with the system? No one even realised that the General was asked to leave until the story came to light in today’s news. I am sure we all can predict why the story was released to the MSM today. It wanted to show that the government did something.

I am not sure whether taking administrative action is sufficient in this case. We are talking about CBT. We are talking about a missing RM50 million jet engine that was supposed to be fitted on a USD 2 million aircraft. Knowing the Malaysian way of wanting to settle problems, it was managed quietly the wrong way.

In the meantime, everyone had forgotten about the 45 aircraft that the Malaysian Government paid for but not taken into the RMAF's inventory. Maybe they went into the army or navy inventory. Who knows what mix-ups can happen?.

Regards,

DR RAFICK