Malaysiakini: Govt defers another helicopter deal

On October 28, the government decided to call off negotiations on the ostentatious purchase of 12 Eurocopter EC-725 Cougars in the wake of falling crude and palm oil revenues. The next project to be deferred was the procurement of 21 helicopters for the Royal Police. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Amirsham Aziz announced so on the same day during the final minutes of the Parliament session. Indeed, such expensive undertakings like the purchase of the Eurocopters and the ones for the police had to be shelved to enable the government to divert precious public funds to more pressing matters.