Former deputy defence minister Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz said the cost increase and the decision to reduce the number of vessels from six to five occurred during Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.

KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition MP has accused defence minister Khaled Nordin of misleading the Dewan Rakyat over the cost of the littoral combat ship (LCS) project.

Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PN-Tanah Merah) said Khaled had blamed the previous administration for the project's cost ballooning from the initial RM9.2 billion to RM11.3 billion.

Ikmal, who was the deputy defence minister in the previous government, said Khaled's claim was untrue.

Ikmal said the cost increase and the decision to reduce the number of vessels from six to five occurred during Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration.