The Defence Ministry is revamping its anti-corruption plan and procurement procedures, introducing committee-based decisions, AI monitoring, and a new integrity board to prevent abuse.
PETALING JAYA: The Defence Ministry is revamping its anti-corruption plan and tightening procurement procedures following a high-level army corruption scandal, with its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (pic) pledging zero tolerance for abuse of power in defence procurement.
He said tender and procurement processes would be reviewed to align with international best practices as part of a broader reform agenda to address leakage and restore integrity in the acquisition of high-value defence assets.
“The ministry will improve governance by ensuring procurement decisions are no longer made by a single individual, but instead handled by committees of technical, financial, legal and strategic experts with checks and balances at every stage, including Cabinet approval,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.
He was responding to Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN–Padang Serai), who sought details on measures to guarantee transparency in the procurement of high-value defence assets.
Mohamed Khaled said the ministry would expand digitalisation to reduce human intervention and close loopholes, with upgraded monitoring systems to track projects, delivery, compliance and finances, supported by clear audit trails.
“The ministry plans to optimise the use of AI to enhance monitoring capabilities, identify potential leakage, benchmark costs against comparable countries and support data-driven decision-making.
“A dedicated board will also be established to strengthen integrity and public trust, providing a structured and credible channel for complaints and disclosures to be investigated independently without interference.”
He added that internal control mechanisms would be reinforced through compliance, risk-based and governance audits to ensure all procurement processes strictly adhere to financial regulations, SOP and accountability principles.
“We will undertake efforts to rehabilitate and strengthen integrity systems and governance frameworks to eliminate all avenues for misconduct and abuse of authority,” he said in response to Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor (PN–Ketereh), who asked about measures to restore public confidence following the scandal.
He also said operational readiness in strategic areas remains at its peak despite the ongoing reforms.
