Khaled Nordin: Maharaja Lela-class LCS delayed again, but sea trials to start in April

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said today the first Malaysian-built littoral combat ship will only be commissioned by December this year, a four-month delay from the August target.

But after seven years of delay, the first Maharaja Lela-class LCS will be ready for sea trials as scheduled this April, Khaled told Parliament during Question Time.

“We have been informed by Lumut Naval Shipyard (Lunas) that the vessel was successfully launched and is now in the phase of assembly and main systems integration,” he said.

“The first sea-going trial will take place on January 28 for the purpose of testing the engine, power, air conditioning and propulsion systems. This is the preliminary preparation to ensure it is ready for the full sea trial… to be scheduled for early April 2026,” the minister added.

The LCS programme attracted sustained public and media scrutiny following prolonged delays, which led to corruption allegations that eventually became one of the biggest scandals to rock the former ruling coalition.

In 2011, the country’s Ministry of Defence awarded an RM9 billion contract to Malaysia’s Boustead Naval Shipyard to build six LCS vessels, with the lead ship scheduled for delivery by April 2019 and the remaining five by 2023.

However, progress stalled, with the programme reaching just 47 per cent completion by January 2017, and 50 per cent a year later.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was critical of the project when he was in the Opposition, said his administration would continue with the project despite his previous calls to scrap it.

Anwar said the government had “no choice” but to take over Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) via a special purpose vehicle (SPV) as a means of completing the project, because RM6 billion of taxpayers’ money had already been “sunk” into it.

The Pakatan Harapan leader has since taken on a more optimistic tone.

During a visit to the Lumut Naval Shipyard in June 2025, Anwar expressed satisfaction that the construction of the first ship had reached more than 72 per cent completion.