Newly-minted Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said his administration will investigate five scandals allegedly committed during the rule of the BN government.

"The investigations will be carried out from time to time. If something serious crops up, action will be taken, but I do not want to act based on hearsay - we hear this and that and but cannot act without studying.

"If we act based on hearsay, the image of our department will be affected. If there is any action, it will be based on solid evidence and research.

"(This includes) the Scorpene scandal, of which there is a lot of hearsay. We have internal audit too.

"If (an issue) cannot be resolved internally, only then we will seek external help, and if it is serious, we will take it to the cabinet," Mohamad Sabu, who is also Amanah president, told a press conference after clocking in on his first day at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) today.

Last Sunday, the Centre for Malaysian Political and Economic Transcendence (Competent) urged Mohamad Sabu, who is better known as Mat Sabu, to investigate five scandals related to Mindef during BN-era rule.

This includes the purchase of several units of Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV) at inflated prices, which had even captured the attention of Johor ruler, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

It was reported that the vehicles were bought at RM690,000 a unit, while the Johor ruler had purchased them for only RM150,000 a unit.

Besides that, Competent also pointed out the purchase of 257 units of Armoured Personnel Vehicles from Turkey, for RM7.5 billion, which was way more than RM1.57 billion reported by the Turkish media when the agreement was signed in 2011.

Competent had also urged investigating the payout of excessive commissions to middlemen who acted as brokers in the purchase of defence assets, citing the RM535 million commission given to the company owned by Abdul Razak Baginda, an ally of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, in the purchase of two Scorpene submarines.

The NGO also asked for the suppliers or contractors involved in ailing projects of the ministry to be sued or blacklisted for incurring losses to the government.

It cited the construction of 27 Patrol Vessel Units, worth about RM1 billion each, which could not be completed within the timeframe, by PSC-Naval Dockyard, and had to be taken over by Boustead Holdings, a subsidiary of the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT).

Mohamad said he will spend the first week at work listening to briefings from various parties on the running of the Defence Ministry.

He said what is good, will be maintained, and in fact, upgraded.

"If the management (of a unit) is already good, it has to be upgraded, but we will first discuss it with the generals in the armed forces or other stakeholders. We will do it on deliberation, I do not want to impose anything without discussions beforehand."

Asked about the fate of the King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP), Mohamad said he will discuss the issue with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad first, before deciding.

The KSCIP is an initiative by Najib's administration to collaborate with Saudi Arabia, to counter the influence of extremism and terrorist activities, as well as promote universal peace.