Minister, aide tight-lipped on identity of Zainab in combat ship saga

Former deputy defence minister Abd Latiff Ahmad has remained tight-lipped on the identity of a woman named in the forensic audit report on the littoral combat ship (LCS) project, maintaining only that Zainab Mohd Salleh is not his wife. 

"I have no wife or wives by the name of Zainab binti Mohd Salleh," he said in a Facebook post today denying as well the involvement of any of his family members in the supply or construction of the ships in question. 

MalaysiaNow previously reported on the investigation into the controversial multi-billion contract which identified Zainab as Latiff's spouse. 

This was confirmed by the forensic audit report into Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation by Alliance IFA, which was declassified by the government on Aug 22. 

When contacted by MalaysiaNow today, Latiff's spokesman said the Mersing MP might not make any further comments on the matter for now. 

"The allegation that his family was given the LCS project has been answered since he has stated twice now that Zainab Mohd Salleh is not his wife and that none of his family members received the LCS contract," the spokesman added. 

When asked if Latiff, now a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, would take any action regarding the report, the spokesman said there was nothing more to say. 

"There might be further action," he added. 

Zainab was named in the report as one of the owners of Sousmarin Armada Ltd, a company with a business address in Paris although payment to it was released in Singapore.

The company is one of a number of companies involved in the RM9 billion contract for government-owned Boustead Naval Shipyard to build six combat ships that were never delivered.

Zainab's name was linked to another company which received transactions of millions of dollars for the LCS project through suspicious accounts overseas.

MalaysiaNow reported that the company, Alizes Marine Ltd, was registered in offshore tax havens Malta and Labuan under the same name, and operated without any physical office before they were de-registered between 2014 and 2019. 

MalaysiaNow understands that Boustead Naval Shipyard, which received the RM9 billion contract for the construction of six ships that were never delivered, will not be issuing any statements for the time being.

Latiff's spokesman said the company was monitoring the situation and following each new development. 

"No statements will be made for now," he said. 

MalaysiaNow has contacted Latiff but has yet to receive a response.