The government will not pay compensation to the party in Uruguay for bringing back two F-5E aircraft engines to Malaysia as they were stolen national assets.

Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the fighter aircraft engines belonged to Malaysia, therefore the government was not responsible for paying compensation although the engines had been bought by an international company based in that country (Uruguay).

"No compensation should be paid as the engines are assets stolen from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), and the Malaysian government has the right to get them back," he said after handing over certificates to staff of the Defence Services Asia (DSA 2010) Exhibition and Conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Zahid also disclosed that the engines had been brought back to Malaysia following negotiations between Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail and the relevant Uruguayan authority.

"The 38-year-old engines were brought back like normal cargo and would be sent to the workshop already identified, for repairs soon," he said but declined to reveal when the engines arrived in Malaysia.

Zahid said the engines were no longer for frontline aircraft but for aircraft used in training.

In February, Abdul Gani was reported to be going to Uruguay to make arrangements to bring back the two F-5E engines which were reported missing from the Sungai Besi air base in Kuala Lumpur and the RMAF 12th Squadron (Scorpion) base in Butterworth.

On the country's second Scorpene submarine KD Tun Abdul Razak, Zahid said it had left Sri Lanka and was expected to arrive in Malaysian waters on July 1.

He said on Thursday, the Sultan of Selangor will join the submarine officers and crew for the journey to the Royal Malaysian Navy base in Lumut.

It is expected to arrive the next day and be welcomed by the Sultan of Perak.

- Bernama