Zahid: 200,000 M4 carbines can be manufactured locally
Posted on July 31, 2012, Tuesday
MEETING THE TOP BRASS: Zahid (front, second left) in discussion with Air Force commanding officer General Tan Sri Rodzali Daud (front right) after chairing the MIDES meeting. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry is confident that the 200,000 units of the M4 carbine slated to replace the M16, currently in use, can be manufactured locally.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the confidence was based on a transfer of technology agreement between a local company and a company in the United States, enabling 85 per cent of it manufacture to be done locally.
“For a start, 11,000 units have been produced, tested and approved for domestic use next year,” he said after chairing a meeting of the Malaysian Industry Council For Defence, Enforcement and Security (MIDES), here, yesterday.
He said the production of the M4, a very light weapon of medium size with semi-automatic and three-round bursts shooting modes, would not be limited to the army but would also be used by other security agencies in the country.
Compared to the M16 which was first used in Malaysia in 1976, M4 had a heavier barrel and could ensure sustained bursts of fire.
On MIDES, Ahmad Zahid said the three-hour meeting also discussed improvements which would be carried out in advancing the information and communication technology (ICT) industry especially on cyber security.
“We are still at the low end in the ICT industry and will carry out smart partnerships with ICT companies to develop several enforcement equipment to face cyber warfare,” he said.
Nevertheless, he said the ministry would not seek an increase to its allocation in the 2013 Budget.
“We will definitely carry out improvements and upgrade several assets, but the ministry has no plan to ask for any allocation,” he added. — Bernama
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