Malaysia criticized the “deafening silence” from major powers on Sunday over the collapse of a deal for a naval missile system with Norway, saying it “sends a dangerous message about the integrity of international contracts”.
The two countries have been embroiled in a diplomatic spat this month since Norway revoked export approval for certain technologies.
Oslo said the move was not intended to target Malaysia, but Kuala Lumpur is still seeking more than $251 million in compensation from the Norwegian company involved in the deal.
Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamad Khalid Nordin condemned the lack of strong response from other countries to “Norway’s unilateral decision” at a major defense forum in Singapore.
“No one has raised serious concerns about the integrity or accountability of the contract. This deafening silence sends a dangerous message that some countries are simply not scrutinized,” he told the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Mohamed Khalid criticized what he called double standards in the application of international law between “developing countries” and “powerful countries or their allies”, adding that Malaysia was now in discussions with “real partners” to purchase the missile system.
Norway said the withdrawal was “solely due to the export control regulations imposed by Norway” and that it was “unfortunate” that they affected Malaysia.
Its foreign ministry said it could not comment on individual contracts because they were protected by strict confidentiality clauses.
Mohamed Khalid said this month that the Malaysian government had sent notices to the company involved, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, seeking compensation for “direct and indirect costs.”
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also expressed his “strong objection” to the “unacceptable” decision in a phone call with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gall Storr.
Anwar warned that the decision “will have serious consequences for Malaysia’s defense operational readiness and Littoral Combat Ship modernization program”.
The LCS project was first approved in Malaysia in 2011 with an initial contract worth RM6 billion involving six vessels.
The deal had been dogged by accusations of mismanagement and rising costs, but following a government review it was revived in 2023 with the number of ships reduced to five.
Delivery of the first ship, originally scheduled for August, has been postponed to December due to delays in equipment delivery and ongoing rework, local media reports quoted officials as saying.
MBA/MJW/ABS
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
