Winners of FAST Helmet Tenders

Paratroopers, most wearing FAST helmets and an armoured battalion during an exercise in 2019. BTDM

SHAH ALAM: Winners of FAST helmet tenders. Back in July 2021, Malaysian Defence wrote about a Request For Bid (RFB) or tender for the supply and delivery of five-hundred and sixty-nine Future Advanced Shell Technology (FAST) ballistic helmets for a three-year period for the Joint Force.

A check on the Eperolehan website today showed that the company which won the bid was KDI Garments Sdn Bhd> with the Letter of Award (LOA or contract) of RM1.456 million. A Google search showed that KDI Garments is a women clothing company based in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.

Soldiers from 8 RAMD preparing to conduct a parachute drop during an exercise held on January 10 and 12 2022. Note many of the paratroopers are wearing FAST helmets though one or two are still wearing the old ballistic helmets. BTDM

Shortly after the FAST helmet tender for the Joint Force closed in September 2021, another tender for FAST helmets was published by Eperolehan in November 2021 and closed on January 21, 2022. The tender for the supply and delivery of the FAST helmets, was for the Army, which sought 1306 examples. Usahawan PSE Sdn Bhd was the company that won the tender and awarded the LOA of RM3.983 million. Usahawan PSE and its subsidiaries have been supplying assorted items to the Defence Ministry since mid-2000s. It must be noted that both tenders were issued by the Procurement Division of the Defence Ministry.
Paratroopers from 10th Para Brigade on exercise in November 2022. BTDM

On March 3, last year, the Ordnance Group of the Army issued another RFB for one hundred and fourty-two FAST ballistic helmets. The RFB opening and closing date was seven days as the closing date was on March 10. Usahawan PSE was awarded the LOA of RM418,900.
Paratroopers from 18th RAMD during an exercise in October 2022. BTDM

Not much interesting, isn’t it? I thought so as well but my interest in the tenders was perked up when I read that a retired Army major-general had a lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over the management on the purchase of ballistic helmets. The retired officer had publicised the report on January 7 on his social media post. I have no idea whether the report was in connection with the above three tenders, but it will be interesting, to say the least, if anything will come up following the report. (The officer confirmed today on his social media that the report was lodged for the second tender of FAST helmets)

— Malaysian Defence

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10 Comments

  1. So
    1st order was RM 2.5k per FAST
    2nd order was RM 3.0k per FAST
    3rd order was RM 2.9k per FAST

    Interesting? oh yes, there was a RM 500 price increase from 1st (KDI) to 2nd/3rd (PSE).
    Could it be caused by supplied from different FAST maker?
    Or due to global increase in material & logistics cost?
    Or the difference in markups by the vendors?
    Or actually was there even a markup, as a US Forces one cost USD$1690 or RM 7k?

  2. Yes, different prices are likely due to numbers ordered. Unlikely, we got it from the US manufacturer if its cheaper than buying from them via FMS. Ones from you know where…

  3. Nowadays its very typical for the losing bidder to cry unfairness & corruption when they lost as it is with the new sitting Govt political methodology of slapping the corruption tag onto anything they don’t like, whether be true or not.

  4. Which is why its interesting there was a RM 500 markup per FAST going from KDI to PSE. Sometimes it might be reasonable but for this case I guess you could have known something and cannot share here… Maybe you could share here the media outlet that had carried this MACC story or something? Or was it something posted on Twitter or FB?

  5. From the looks of it, this helmet has no side protection (ear area) whatsoever. So much (or less) for the ability to wear comm headsets.

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