X

Standard Firearm, the Colt M4 Carbine

SHAH ALAM: Standard Fiream. Its appears that the Colt M4 Carbine is the standard firearm for the government with the latest user being, the Customs Department. The department bought 100 M4A1 Carbines for RM891,500 on Aug. 26. 2015.
Unfortunately as the police have not issued the licenses for the carbines, these automatic weapons remained in storage with (unnamed) distributor, according to the 2017 Auditor Generals Report.

The M4s are part of 659 firearms bought by the Customs between 2014 and 2015 costing some RM2.80 million. The other firearms purchased were 40 CZ Scorpion 3A1 submachine guns, and handguns – Glocks and CZ pistols.

RMAF personnel shooting the M4A1 Carbine, MAF Standard Rifle.

Apart from the M4 Carbines (in 5.56mm) another 204 firearms remained in storage – likely including 40 CZ Scorpion sub-machineguns and the Glock and CZ handguns – as Customs had failed to obtain the licenses for them, says the AG report.
Police personnel from the now disbanded Special Task Force Against Gambling parade with the CZ Scorpion EVO 3A1 at the PDRM 211th anniversary in March, this year.

While the licenses for the handguns are under process – each must be approved individually, by the state police chiefs as mandated by the Firearms Act – it appears that there is an impasse on distribution of the M4 and the Scorpion to Customs officers.
CZ P-07 pistol, 150 of these handguns were bought by Customs Department.

Customs purchased these automatic weapons on its interpretation of a government gazette that allowed their issuance to its officers – under the authority of its directors at the headquarters, state including Labuan and training institute level . However, the police is saying that only the custom’s director, state director including Labuan and the training institute could be armed with the automatic weapons.
Glock G26 sub compact pistol. Customs bought 95 of these handguns.

The AG report says that the Customs is appealing to the police though as off December last year, Customs have yet to distribute most of the firearms to the assigned officers tasked with enforcement duties. it must be noted that the AG report stated that they believed that the Customs had failed to adhere to the law for purchasing the firearms without getting the licenses from the police as mandated by the law.
CZ Scorpion EVO 3A1.

Apart from the Customs travails, the AG report also highlighted the delay in completing the facilities at two Army camps, Kem Batu 10 Kuantan and Kem Sunggala, Port Dickson. The report did not say anything on the work at Kem Lapangan Terbang, Sungai Petani, Kedah although it stated that the camp was also to be equipped with new facilities from garages and other facilities as part of the procurement of the Gempita 8X8 vehicles for the Army.
The main gate of Kem Sunggala, Port Dickson. 2 Armor FB

As you are aware the camps are those of the 1 Kor Armor Di Raja, 2 Kor Armor Di Raja and Batalion ke 19, Askar Melayu Di Raja. Even though all three units already received their Gempitas – 118 units delivered as off April, 2018 – the facilities at the Kuantan and Port Dickson remained incomplete as off, December, 2017.
Two Gempitas of 2 Armor during a parade in 2016. 2 Armor FB

The report says due to the incomplete work, both units had to store their vehicles in current facilities and the units had also to store essential equipment in other buildings. It must be noted that as the end users, the Defence Ministry and Army could not be faulted for the debacle as the awards of the projects and responsibility rested with the Public Works Department and the Works Ministry.
2 Armor troops with their Gempitas at the recent the Armour Corps anniversary parade. 2 Armor

It must also be noted that the procurement of new assets are not limited to the equipment but also new facilities to accomodate them. Hence the procurement cost is just one part of the equation.

— Malaysian Defence

If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment
Marhalim Abas: Shah Alam

View Comments (6)

  • For the gempitas.

    Is 118 the full complement of gempitas for the 3 units? Does that mean the cavalry regiment will maintain a mix of gempita and condor, similar to the mix of sibmas and condor before?

    Off topic.

    I have been following the 11 armor FB page. It seems that 11 armor has quite a number of Adnans in their fleet.

    Reply
    I am not sure but from what I gather from the report is that 1 and 2 Armor will be getting up to 77 Gempitas each. Based on that I am guessing that they will only operate Gempitas once all of the vehicles are delivered.

  • Better for the MOF to work eith MOD n MOIA to transfer these unused weapons to the armed forces or the MMEA

  • More on the gempita's

    royal armoured corps cavalry regiments

    1st Royal Armour Corps (Batu 10 Camp, Kuantan, Pahang)
    2nd Royal Armour Corps (Sunggala Camp, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan)
    3rd Royal Armour Corps (Lapangan Terbang Camp, Sungai Petani, Kedah)
    4th Royal Armour Corps (Penrissen Camp, Kuching, Sarawak)

    I believe even the 3rd Armor has received some gempita's, some to be showcased in Penang for the Merdeka celebrations.

    In total we are going to get only 257 AV8, if there is no 2nd batch there won't be enough for all 4 cavalry regiments plus probably 2-3 mechanized infantry regiments.

    For 3 Mech and 4 cavalry regiments, there would be a need of around 450 gempita's in total. that assuming the mech regiment is fully equipped with gempitas, and the cavalry is a mix of half gempita and half of something else as the condor replacement.

    My ideal composition

    1 Mechanized Gempita
    48+6 AV8 IFV25
    8 AV8 IFV30
    4 AV8 LCT30
    6 AV8 Command
    6 AV8 VINTAQS
    2 AV8 ARV
    6 AM4 ambulance
    4 AM4 maintenance
    4 AM4 logistic
    6 AM4 APC

    1 CAVALRY RGT (Kor Armor Diraja)
    24 AV8 IFV30
    12 AV8 LCT30
    4 AV8 Command
    2 AV8 Ambulances
    2 AV8 ARV
    2 AV8 Maintenance
    46 J-LTV (12 HWC, 12 ATGM, 6 VINTAQS, 12 GP, 4 ambulance)

    (AM4 is a generic 12 tonne MRAP with cost of USD1 mil or less, J-LTV is the oshkoh J-LTV with a cost of usd400 thousand each)

    http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/high-res/JLTV_Group_J1A5102_10x8_cmyk.jpg

  • Does Kastam really need anything more than 9mm submachineguns? I understand the withheld Scorpions would be missed but is a 5.56mm weapon necessary? Its not like smugglers would arm themselves with AKs or M4/16s, right?

    What next? RELA directing traffic during kenduris armed with M4s as well? They should work with the Polis/ Polis Marin/ MMEA if they need heavier firepower support.