SEPANGGAR, 27 Feb 2018:
Within only nine years, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) submarine fleet is on par with other countries which have been operating submarines far longer, said Chief of Navy Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin.
In fact, he said the capability of the RMN in the operation and maintenance of submarines – in what was regarded as a short period of time – had succeeded in eliminating the doubts of other countries, which were more advanced in the management of submarines, against RMN.
“The RMN managed to reduce the government’s cost by 75% in training submarine personnel in our own country compared to doing it in France nine years ago.
“In addition, we have successfully carried out submarine maintenance work, which was not previously believed by France,” he said after a handing over of duty in yesterday’s ceremony of the commander of the submarines fleet at the Submarine Command Headquarters here.
Ahmad Kamarulzaman said the first batch of submarine personnel were trained in France – involving a cost of about RM4 million for a trainee for a four-year training period.
At the government’s concern, he said the cost of training had been reduced through government investment to create a base equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and simulators at the Kota Kinabalu TLDM Base (PTKK) here.
To date, 87 staff and members had been trained at the base, he said.
“I am also very excited, happy and proud because the submarine personnel at this base are of different races and this proves RMN has never been selective.
“We will provide training to any Malaysian who is qualified and thank god, those given the chance have shown great progress.”
Kamarulzaman was also proud of the capability of engineers and technicians in maintaining the national submarines comprising 90% of citizens, mostly from Sabah.
He said RMN planned to increase the number of submarines in the future as PTKK had the capacity for six vessels.
He said the country now had two submarines – KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Abdul Razak.
Meanwhile, the new RMN Submarine Fleet commander Second Lieutenant Zulhelmy Ithnain said he would focus on maintaining the excellence and boosting the preparedness of the fleet in facing any eventuality.
– Bernama