Malaysia has taken delivery of its first submarine as part of the it's plan to establish a fleet of the vessels amidst opposition allegations of commission being paid in brokering the deal, media reports said.
French company DCNS said in a statement late Tuesday the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) received the Scorpene submarine in the French port of Toulon after the sub completed its final sea trials in December, including the successful firing of torpedoes and missiles. A second is scheduled for delivery in late 2009.
The sub's delivery again raised opposition claims that a 540-million ringgit ($149.50m) commission was paid to a close associate of deputy premier Najib Razak in brokering the deal, when the latter was defense minister.
The deputy premier, who is expected to take over as prime minister when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi steps down in March, has denied any irregularities in the deal. But senior opposition leader Lim Kit Siang called on Malaysia's new anti-corruption commission to investigate the allegation.
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