'Cap ayam': PN MP claims army given substandard sportswear

PARLIAMENT | Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PN-Tanah Merah) claimed that military personnel in this country are supplied with substandard sports clothes and shoes that and of poor quality.

The former deputy defence minister said that with the provision of RM140 million, the Defence Ministry (Mindef) should be able to provide international quality branded and durable sportswear.

The situation, he said, is different from Singapore which uses branded sportswear, namely New Balance, for its soldiers.

“I understand that at the moment, Mindef is carrying out procurement for sports clothing including sports shoes and socks for items that do not have a brand name.

“In street language, we call it ‘cap ayam’ or products that are of poor quality,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

According to Ikmal, the amount of RM140 million allocated is for both 2024 and 2023 and if added up, the allocation is collectively worth RM280 million.

He added that it would be enough for Mindef to procure high-quality sportswear from international brands.

Ikmal said this when debating the 2024 Budget at the committee level for Mindef.

He said that perhaps the time has come for the ministry to consider procurement through an international open tender to acquire quality sportswear.

“Existing clothes and sports socks obtained for military personnel are easily torn and quickly damaged.

“They also did not go through an intensive inspection in a sports laboratory,” he added.

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