The project waited for 29 months and three governments until Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced the resumption. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Parliament and the Cabinet have already agreed in late March to proceed with the littoral combat ship (LCS) procurement project. The project will require some six months to restart as there are still various negotiations to be completed. The project involves six LCSs. The project"s cost is unclear and part of negotiations with the contractor. The Malay government already has paid some RM6.1 billion for the project. The estimates for the project cost reach RM14 billion.
The Maharaja Lela-class frigates are based on an enlarged version of the Gowind-class corvette, designed by DCNS (Now Naval Group) of France. All six ships will be built by local shipbuilder Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation (BHIC) in Lumut, Malaysia. The vessel will be 111 metres long with a displacement of 3,100 tonnes.
The construction of the first ship was expected in 2019, and the remaining five boats would be delivered at six-month intervals after that. In 2020, the Malaysian government announced that the LCS project would be delayed.
