Najib refutes MT’s report, submariners get dolphins

 

This is what was reported at Bernama’s website (www.bernama.com) and also featured on Saturday night’s primetime news on TV3, Bulletin Utama.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak refuted rumour in the internet that there are differences between him and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Describing the rumour as a “myth”, he said his relationship with the Prime Minister was very close and strong in steering the country’s development.

“Being the number two in the country, I always strive to assist the Prime Minister in the country’s administration and so on for the good of the country.

“Don’t listen to the stories in the internet…they are all a myth,” he said in his speech at the Pekan Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) gathering and lunch, here .

 

This response probably was given by the Minister of Defense, who is also the MP for Pekan in his speech, to the article posted by Raja Petra Kamarudin on Malaysia Today, titled “Najib days are numbered?”, earlier this week.

 

 

In another unrelated story, the Chief of Navy Laksmana Datuk Ramlan Mohamed Ali went for a ride into the Bay of Biscay in the Agosta Class submarine “Ouessant”, which departed from Brest, France, with some of the RMN submariners middle of this week. This was part of his program for the attending the Scorpene’s joining ceremony in Cherbourg earlier in the week.

The Chief of Navy announced that a submarine training school will be set up and operational at TLDM Seppangar Bay by 2011. This is to ensure continuous training program to develop and maintain a formidable submarine force for Malaysia. The standard operation procedures, manuals and tactics are now being formulated for the latest flotilla in the RMN service.

This was announced on Friday, 16 March, in Brest, after the ceremony to install the officers and seamen who qualified as certified submariners and earned their dolphins. These submariners are part of the 156 officers and seamen undergoing rigorous training at the French Navy’s (NAVFCO) submarine base, in the port town of Brest, Brittany, France.

(taken from www.epicos.com )

Malaysian submarine program

(2007-03-16)

By: Armaris

Awarding of certificates to Malaysian submariners Brest (France), 16 March 2007 – The Chief of Staff of the Malaysian Navy, Admiral Ramlan, accompanied by Admiral Boiffin, Commander of the Submarine Fleet and Strategic Forces of the French Navy, the directors of ARMARIS – the prime contractor of the Malaysian submarine program – and directors of DCI’s (Défense Conseil International) submarine training unit, NAVFCO, today handed out certificates and insignia to 29 Malaysian students at the Naval Training Center. The new submariners had been training in France since 2005, among a total of 146 Malaysians stationed in Brest. This ceremony, which is the third of its kind, marks the successive phases achieved by the Malaysian submariners in their training program. The certificate and the insignia/badge, presented by the Chief of Staff of the Royal Malaysian Navy to ten of them, correspond to the Elementary Submariner Certificate of the French Navy. It recognizes that those certified have acquired the general knowledge needed to operate a submarine. The Advanced Certificate, presented to 19 of them, is awarded for having successfully completed the “Advanced Submarine Course” module; it recognizes competence in handling onboard systems. The overall training course is aimed at transmitting to Malaysian crews the skills need to safely operate Scorpene-class submarines. Armaris, the joint venture of DCN and Thales is the prime contractor for the overall submarine program for Malaysia. This program will allow the Royal Malaysian Navy to acquire an effective submarine force. Besides the training of Malaysian crews by DCI/NAVFCO, the Malaysian submarine program includes the construction of two Scorpene submarines, being built by DCN as prime contractor and developer, together with its Spanish partner, Navantia. It also includes the maintenance necessary for the Agosta-class Ouessant, which was withdrawn from active service by the French Navy to serve as a trainer for the Malaysian crews, as well as a diving simulator and platform of a Scorpene submarine.

 

History recorded this city is where Karl Doenitz’s feared ‘wolf pack’ U Boats were housed 66 years ago. This is also the port which German battleship Bismarck was heading after evading a chase by Royal Navy’s HMS King George V, Rodney, Norfolk and Suffolk. Bismarck sank after the RN’s swordfishes managed to cripple and corner her and she was shelled in a triangulated crossfire continuously for almost two hours that destroyed most of the top and sunk the much feared Nazi battle-wagen.

 

In the Chief of Navy’s first visit to the RMN submarine project and training program since appointed to the post, Laksmana Datuk Ramlan also announced that a special service allowance for these certified submariners is being worked out and details will made public soon. This will recognize and validate their special skills as submariners, just as pilots get special allowances after they earned their wings. Special operations and active service allowance also will be also be introduced.

This is inline with the practices of the submarine units in other Commonwealth countries such as UK, Australia, Pakistan and India.

Defense Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak last visited the submarine project in June 2005. During this visit, he announced in Cherbourg that the RMN will not compromise on training, competencies and skills of the submariners and the whole team, even if meant that the delivery and operational date of the submarine will be delayed. It is known that RMN officers are now being invited to participate in NATO and French Navy exercises involving submarines, as observers and part of the familiarization programs.