Ten MiG-29Ns, serviced and maintained by India, will continue to fly with the Royal Malaysian Air Force for at least five more years, thanks to the country's resource crunch.

'We have decided to continue using 10 of the 16 MiG-29N jet fighters after sending them for repairs and upgrading,' Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Wednesday.

Their replacement with 18 new Sukhois would have to wait.

'We will call in experts from Aerospace Technology System Corp to do the necessary repairs and overhaul of the engines so that it would be safe for them to fly again,' Hamidi told reporters during a visit to the RMAF base in Kuantan.

The earlier plan was to decommission the aircraft and sell them to a developing nation. However, after taking into consideration the current economic situation, the government decided to shelve that plan, Star Online quoted him as saying.

Six of the aircraft have already been decommissioned, Bernama, the official news agency reported.

Hamidi said the plan to purchase new 'multi-role combat aircraft' had to be put on hold because of the 'unfavourable economic climate presently.'

He said the ministry's decision also took into account the views of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, during whose tenure the aircraft were purchased.

Mahathir had in his blog said he felt that the MiG jet fighters should be retained.

'Perhaps over the next five years, after the global economy shows signs of recovery, we may be able to proceed with the plan,' he said.

Last June, the ministry announced a plan to decommission the MiG jets because of costly maintenance and repairs which amounted to some RM.260 million ($76 million) annually.

They were to be replaced by 18 newly-acquired Sukhoi jets.

The MiG jet fighters came into service in April 1995 at a cost of RM.1.3 billion ($382 million) but required regular maintenance amounting RM.10 million ($ 2.9 million) each, in addition to engine overhauls at a cost of RM.7 million ($2.05 million) every year, the minister said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Army Chief General Mohammed Ismail Jamaluddi said the army plans to set up a Combat Helicopter Unit to strengthen and complement its defence wing.

He said the request to acquire such helicopters had been submitted to the Defence Ministry, but the decision on the acquisition would depend on the allocation from the government, News Straits Times reported.