PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen said that Cambodia has no need to buy fighter jets or submarines to equip the army, as it is willing to use those funds to develop the nation for the benefit of the people instead.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the new Cambodia-Korea Friendship ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) building of Ang Duong Hospital on Monday morning, Prime Minister Hun Sen stated that the cost of buying one unit of a fighter jet or submarine is very high, not to mention the cost of maintaining such defense vehicles.

He said, "Buying an MIG is the equivalent of building this hospital! More expensive than this hospital, a hospital costs only $8 million and a MIG, $20 to $30 million. I do not play with such vehicles! I can only play with helicopter for transport. […] The issue of the army, the issue of submarines, Cambodia has no need! We save money to build hospitals, save money to build roads, save money to build schools, other infrastructure and our country is small! What to do with MIGs? If we go to war with Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, they will be shot down and we have no policy like this."

The Royal Government plans to spend about US $8.6 billion in the state budget in 2022. The defense sector is in third place in the total budget, with US $632 million allocated to the defense ministry, following allocated funding to the Ministry of Education and Health.