Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) was told to "balik tadika" (go back to kindergarten) before asking questions about defence contracts awarded to Bousted Naval Shipyards for six new vessels.

NONE Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (right) flippant remark came during Question time in the Dewan Rakyat this morning, when answering a supplementary question from Lim.

Lim had asked for an explanation of the high cost of the new naval vessels that are being built by the Bousted Naval Shipyard.

Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara) stood up to say that Zahid’s remark was inappropriate.

Zahid clarified that he meant  Lim should learn about naval terms as he needed to understand the difference between specifications of patrol vessels and the second-generation patrol littoral combat ships that are being built.

Both types of ships, he said, have different requirements and weapons, thereby leading to varying costs.

Before he could finish, Mahfuz Omar (PAS-Pokok Sena) interjected acidly: "Do they teach that in kindergarten? Maybe in Permata kindergartens?"

NONE Mahfuz (left) went on to chastise Zahid, reminding him to remember the King’s address to Parliament yesterday, telling MPs to conduct themselves with dignity and to behave.

"Now we see the minister behaving badly," he said.

Lim had also asked why there was a need to spend such a lot of money on weapons when the country was not at war, nor facing threats from neighbours.

Ahmad Zahidi replied that high-tech and up-to-date armaments "are needed to keep up with the Joneses".

He added: "Our neighbours are equipping themselves with the latest weapons. We need to keep up. If we don't buy the latest weapons, the opposition would complain too."

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