Malaysia’s dire naval shortfalls, reliance on US laid bare in damning audit
- Over half of Malaysia’s fleet is past its prime and vital replacements have been delayed, undermining its ability to secure vital sea lanes
The auditor-general’s report exposed a troubling reality: the Royal Malaysian Navy has received only four of its 18 planned new vessels, severely handicapping its ability to patrol the nation’s vast maritime domain, which spans over half a million 500,000 sq km, exceeding its land area.
“We do not possess a sufficient level of deterrence and this directly affects the strategic space and options that defence planners and policymakers have,” warned Thomas Daniel of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.
He said “the hollowing out of Malaysia’s naval and aerial capabilities”, as exposed by the audit report, hurt the country’s maritime security.
Malaysia’s naval woes run deep. The auditor’s damning report, published on July 4, found that half of the country’s fleet of 49 ships are now operating beyond their serviceable lifespan due to the non-delivery of 14 new vessels commissioned over the past decade.