The Ministry of Defence will continue to be prudent in spending from the allocation to be given under Budget 2013, Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

azlan The ministry would use the existing facilities apart from continuing to engage local players who had been with the ministry for its future development projects, be it under the private financial initiative (PFI) or the build–operate–transfer (BOT) system, he said. 

“We do not expect or hope for a bigger allocation from the government, and will accept whatever amount recommended and approved for us,” he told Bernama . 

Ahmad Zahid said the ministry had established the Malaysian Defence Industry Council with which more than 5,000 local companies involved in various defence-related jobs were registered.

The functions of the council were more towards creating job opportunities and economic spin-offs, he added.

- Bernama