Military hardware used in Lahad Datu - khas untuk Dr Kua

Free Malaysia Today's news article What role did the Scorpene subs play? reported:

Yo Dr Kua, Mabuhay

KUALA LUMPUR: Suaram director Kua Kia Soong has questioned the strategy used by the armed forces in Lahad Datu.

"What role did the Scorpene submarines play in the Lahad Datu crisis?

"Is it wise to use jet fighters like the Hornets against a motley group of 250 Sulu men in a 4km radius? Shouldn't we be using helicopters such as the Apache instead?

"Where was the Navy to prevent the invaders from coming in?" he asked during the launch of Malaysian civil society's 20-point demands for the 13th general election at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall this morning.

Now, while I respect Dr Kua, and some of his points as reported in the FMT news article have been reasonable (not presented above), I consider his queries on the use of Scorpene and type of military strike aircraft in the Lahad Datu crisis, where his stated preference was for Apache attack heli-gunship instead of F-18 Hornets, as just plain silly.

SAF Apache heli-gunship

I am being polite in using the word 'silly' because while there are other words more appropriate they are far more rude, and I hesitate to use any word ruder than 'silly' against a man I respect and like.

For a start, does the TUDM (RMAF) or the Malaysian Army possess Apache heli-gunships? I know the Singaporeans do, so was Dr Kua suggesting we should have borrow some from them to use in Lahad Datu?

The RMAF did possess (not sure now) some Alouette gunships but those were meant more for sanitising (clearing) helipads of bobby traps and mines during the Emergency to ensure soldiers landed there do not walk onto those devices. But the Alouette gunships were not attack helicopters per se.

RMAF Alouette heli-gunship

The F-18's and BAE Hawks have been the best possible choices for fast ground-strikes to enhance the element of surprise in the dawn attack, required munition load and of course safety for the pilots. And the 4 km square zone is fairly big enough for such strikes.

Next, submarines would not be the best vessel to employ to interdict alien intruders from the nearby islands.

A submarine is meant for covert or surreptitious warfare, that is, using cover and stealth to approach, trail and/or attack the enemy or slip commandos into enemy territory. The denial of Filipino entries into Malaysian waters doesn't require such an approach or tactic. In fact, apart from detecting and stopping boats carrying armed intruders from the Philippines southern islands, the RMN should actually show its flag openly (and threateningly) to deter the terrorist from entering Malaysian waters.


A combination of maritime air and surface ship patrols would be best.

RMN surface vessel

But the coast of Eastern Sabah is not exactly Penang's Batu Ferringhi beach. It's a fairly extensive stret! ch for su! rveillance and interdiction, and couple with the proximity of numerous Filipino southern islands and the RMN available resources, the task would be difficult though not impossible.

A possible solution in terms of efficient yet effective use of resources and cost would be to employ a number of electronic (including surface radar) and visual (TV camera and infra red) equipped drones to patrol the coast.

It's easy to sprout "Where was the Navy to prevent the invaders from coming in?" but please reflect on how the Allies in WWII could slip into Nazi-occupied Europe on numerous occasions despite the renown effectiveness and efficiency of the German military, already on war footing.

RMAF PC130H

I worry that behind Dr Kua's 'silly' comments have been the disapp! ointing u! rge of pro PKR people to just condemn everything and anything the Malaysian military have done in Lahad Datu, just for the purpose of vicariously getting at the UMNO-led government. This is not healthy for our nation and rakyat.

On a different but related point, I personally suspect that the air strikes have been very successful but the authorities are deliberately hiding the unpleasant truth of massive deaths of the intruders (from their families as well as supporters and sympathizers in Sabah, especially the latter) to prevent anger among them. These are the people who so happened to be the voters in GE-13 to realize for UMNO its claim of Sabah as its 'fixed deposit'.

RMAF Hawk

It's the same reason Najib did not order immediate firm and appropriate actions against the Sulu interlopers in the first place.

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