Andrew Ong | May 29, 09 2:11pm | Malaysiakini
Veteran opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang has urged the government to form a commission of inquiry to probe the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
“The inquiry must investigate by going beyond the Port Klang Authority (PKA) and probe the Treasury and the previous transport ministers,” Lim said.
The two transport ministers singled out by Lim was Ling Liong Sik (1986 – 2003) and Chan Kong Choy (2003 – 2008).
“The PKA chairperson is only a puppet. The masters were Ling and Chan,” said Lim.
Lim was speaking to reporters after leading a seven-member delegation to the PKA headquarters in Port Klang to study the three-inch thick appendix to the PKFZ audit report for four hours. The appendix was released today.
Lim also lashed out at current Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat for defining a narrow terms-of-reference for the audit by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and not granting firm investigative powers.
He said that this falls short of Ong’s promise of a complete disclosure over the scandal.
By doing so, Lim said Ong had done a “great disservice” to the country by “tying the hands and feet of PwC” and thus producing a reported that was “highly unsatisfactory and cannot be accepted”.
Lim said that a thorough probe by means of a commission of inquiry was necessary to probe Lim, Chan and Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was prime minister when the project kicked in the early 2000s.
MACC probe not enough
In another development, Klang MP Charles Santiago has also urged the government to form a commission of inquiry on the scandal, because the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency has proven to be inefficient.
Santiago said numerous reports on PKFZ have already been submitted to the then Anti-Corruption Agency but no action appears to have been taken.
“The (then) Anti-Corruption Agency has took files from PKFZ. They know about the wrongdoings involving the project, but nothing has come out of it,” he told Malaysiakini.
Santiago said that similarly, Bursa Malaysia and the Parliament Public Accounts Committee (under Johor Baru MP Shahrir Samad then) looked into the matter as well, but no action was taken.
“There seems to be a lack of oversight by the relevant regulators. These institutions have failed and nothing short of a commission of inquiry is needed to get to the bottom of this,” he said.
He added that these bodies were aware of the PKFZ scandal even before the audit report and their inaction begs the question of whether there was collusion, political interference of intimidation.
Santiago was commenting on the decision by Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat to hand the audit report of the controversial project over to the MACC for further action.
“This is the biggest financial fiasco in Malaysian history. It is disappointing that the transport minister is gloating that by reporting to the MACC, the problem will be resolved,” added Santiago.
Report handed to MACC
Earlier today, Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairperson Lee Hwa Beng handed a copy of the audit report to the MACC office in Putrajaya at about 8am.
He later spent about 10 minutes in a meeting with MACC deputy commission Abu Kassim Mohammad.
Speaking to reporters later, he said that both PKA and auditors PwC have pledged full cooperation with MACC.
He said that PKA would only take action internally after MACC has completed its probe.
Among others, the audit reports serious mismanagement of the project which has ballooned from a cost of RM1.9 billion to RM7.5 billion till date.
Should there be no remedies, the audit report projected that PKFZ would cost taxpayers RM12 billion by 2051.
Obviously, there are some hidden agenda in this PKFZ scandal.
But the issues now are how to correct it efficiently. Beside the anti-corruption commission do their work, any good suggestion can be raised? From the point of view of opposition, this scandal really is a powerful asset for them in the coming by-election. By as a Malaysian, what we hope is to correct the wrong things. We really hope that government and opposition can work together for the nation. Condemn here and there. Nothing we can get. Check and Balance is important. However an immediate action is really needed at this moment. Thanks Mr LKS, finally we can understand what happened in the PKFZ scandal under the your pressuring towards them.
Probe the puppet masters….easier said than done. Who are you suggesting to probe the puppet masters, the MACC? If it is the MACC you can bet your last dollar that nothing will happen because:
1. MACC does not have the political resolve to handle the case as it is beholden to the powers that be.
And even if we assume that it has the political resolve to move on to tackle the case:
2. MACC does not have the capability to handle such a case involving financial shuffling and money laundry through complicated, multi-tier company organisations some of which may ultimately end up in foreign countries which still have secrecy laws. These needs experienced forensic accountants which MACC does not have!
So far can anyone recall what success MACC has in combating big corruption (not the ikan bilis)? Zilch!
If you ask the MACC to probe the puppet masters it can only do the reverse which is to close cases thereby providing closure and legitimacy to the corruption done by the big fishes.
PAC should be the one requesting for an independent audit company from the big 4 who has the expertise and territorial reach by virtue of their international connection to probe the case in sufficient depth. Not asking the MACC!
Just give RM1 for every RM10,000 recovered in wrong doings to these Auditing Firms, you’ll be amazed how quickly you will be able to recover the audit fees to pay for the whole investigation for itself including the napping of all the wrong doers, big or small!
This RM12 b is pale by comparison but still need a Royal commission of Inquiry and this is worst profligacy confirmed as follows:-
Bank Negara Malaysia’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities
From RM502 billion on 30 May 2008 to RM350 billion in May 2009, where has all the money gone?
Joshua Kong
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=142&sdate=2008-05-30&lang=en RM502 billions 30 May 2008
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=142&sdate=2009-03-13&lang=en RM344 billions 13 Mar 2009
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=142&sdate=2009-03-31&lang=en RM350 billion 31 Mar 2009
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=142&sdate=2009-04-15&lang=en RM348 billions 15 April 2009
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=142&sdate=2009-05-15&lang=en RM350 billions 15 May 2009
My 27 Police Reports worth RM30 trillions as in
http://malaysia-police-reports.blogspot.com/
Bank Negara Malaysia’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities
From RM502 billion on 30 May 2008 to RM344 billion in March 2009, where has all the money gone?
Joshua Kong
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=142&sdate=2008-05-30&lang=en RM502 billions 30 May 2008
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=12&pg=142&sdate=2009-03-13&lang=en RM344 billions 13 Mar 2009
check that out as well in addition to the RM12 billion on PKFZ.
This project is the political bonus for MCA and it all done with the grand old man knowledge. It was evil since day. The motive is pure and clear, it was used to legalized as the payment for their loyalty to BN. Other wise how you reconciled with all that has happened? When the first move will tell you all. The first step is buy at RM25 PER SQ FT. Next award all the contract sum as huge as possible to the cronies. Guaranteed them.
Forget about booking the masters. The master is enjoying his whiskey everyday.
Omega share scandal?
Ling’s puppet?
The end result will be just the same as others, money gone, big fish still swimming happily, case closed and we await another big scandal to surface and history will repeat itself.
Malaysia For All
GE 13 – No matter what, we must ensure that racist umno bn do not regain the power like they had for over the past fifty one years.
How can we expect UMNO’s agency – MACC to find anything that may cause trouble to their masters????????????????? Just see how long they will be sitting on it and do nothing. On the other hand, just see how fast they will come out against the PKR duo & Aminah on the Penanti issue, possibly disqualify PKR from contesting.
Lets hope Pakatan Rakyat wins by more than 2/3 majority come the next GE and clean up all the mess. Our nation is truly an international joke right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Susan Loone is after justice for Mongolian murder lady….non stop.
Lim Kit Siang must not stop talking about PKFZ fiasco.
Ling Liong Sik is the main suspect.
The whole country knows it. UMNO smart to put MCA men to investigate MCA men……never an independent body.
LKS must go all out…like he did ..so fantastically well..on the Bank Bumiputra corruption case…more than 35 years ago…yet case still not closed.
People are so ever grateful to LKS fighting for freedom and exposing corruptions.
Penang is our first reward…more to come.
Meanwhile….Ling Liong Sik…the ever so clean MCA President…was helped Mahathir to divide Chinese..playing the race and religion dirty game
He led…MCA to be good at..talking education….build chinese schools..to win votes. Nothng else matters.
They are useless UMNO puppets…. all their lives.
Why I say we are international joke:-
We disallowed the old man “Chin Peng” to return to his home land accusing him for being a communist and Rai is getting the RTM to show how cruel communists are. (“Rais also said this week that RTM would start airing documentaries on the “cruelty” of the communists – MalaysianInsiderhttp://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/27973-zaid-attacks-racial-overtones-in-anti-chin-peng-campaign).
And yet our Prime Minister is taking a large group of Ministers & business people to visit Chin Peng’s master – COMMUNIST China next week. What a SICK JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10b here. 10b there. Before you know, its several hundred billions down the drain. Actually not quite down the drain. Down someone’s piggy bank.
We are a wealthy country. Resources we have in abundance. Petroleum we have. Land mass we have. Brain power we also have. There are only 25m of us and the country actually has enough wealth to go round for everyone. We could have another dozen universities and maybe a few premier research based ones too. We could have a dozen Victoria Institutions. We could have enough scholarship money. And a lot more.
But how come umnoputras are quarelling with us over quotas and nep and some fictitious malay rights? That is because despite all our richness we actually do not have enough to go round to everyone. Squandered by a sinful few at the expense of a large majority. Joy trips to places like disneyland. Private jets. S350 and ferraris. Expensive lifestyles. etc etc.
What money are they spending? Our scholarship money. Our highway construction and maintenance money. Our new school money. Our kampung facilities and amenities money etc etc etc.
If there was better, transparent and clean management of our wealth by umno, all issues will go away. It is not as if there are 100m people in malaysia.
PKFZ scandal is a sin and I am sure GOD has taken note of it and the people who are responsible. Nevermind if our umno gobermen does not take action. Here or there those responsible will not escape the consequences.
RIP.NAJIB.UMNO.
No worry
BN gomen will form a commission of inquiry on the scandal
Just join the long list of commissions of inquiry
NATO, just only the sound of silence – silent f@rt
Lingam case – what happened?
Kugan’s death case – what happened?
NEP bumi % case – what happened?
Perak 2 frogs’ corruption – what happened?
Toyol Disney makan angin – what happened?
Many cases, lots of noise at various moments
Now, all quiet – Malaysians mudah lupa
But of cos, Perak MB cases, cepat cepat
Very soon, showtime, sex education pong pong pong time
they are not puppet , they are running dogs
Is it true that a TUN has immunity against the law?
A TUN is above the law and cannot be charged?
True? Or just urban legend?
If really really true, WOW
This must be a plot to protect retired corrupt politicians
Tun here, Tun there, everywhere, untouchables!
What has this Bintulu guy Tiong King Sing to do with the ‘west’?
Outcome of investigations on PKFZ is going to be another BIG disappointment for Malaysians. Unless UMNO/BN is booted out in 13th GE, plundering of rakyat’s money will continue.
Bangkitlah rakyat Malaysia. Tumbangkan kerajaan yang korup untuk menjamin hidup anak-cucu kita.
Brother Kit Siang, live and let live. Who is going to do it? As the Rakyat see it, KBSB is going to sue PKA for releasing the report.
This happens because of the strength of PR and the over-all fed-up Malaysians. Unfortunately, YB Lim, the highest level succesful investigation done by MACC so far was the Cows and Cars. Beside that, MACC seemed to ligitimise the wrongdoings of people in high level civil service, or the members of the present ruling gov’t.
What happen in other non-PR states? – God knows. States like Sarawak and Sabah seems to operate under their own laws. People with the right connections are very veru rich while the people are poor with hardly one single useable highway. The ONLY trunk road – call it a road or a timber track? And yet local politicians can claim Sarawak will be the most developed state. When? 100 years time?
Sabah – its millions and millions pumped in under Abdullah regime. Special fund this and special fund that. But at the people’s level hardly anything changed. I am afraid YB Lim, when PR takes over these 2 states, Pricewaterhouse will need to hire at least another 100 accountants; there’s just too much abuses there.
The good news, PR is half-way cleaning Penang and Selangor. Come next elecion, we must extend PR to other states, not only Sabah, Sarawak, but Pahang, Johore, NS as well. PR is obligated to the future generations of this country. Leave it to BN – Malaysia will remain as it is, corrupted.
the only real way for all out and no bar holds investigation is after a change of occupants of the federal government seats.
for tax payers who want to know where their money has gone through, please use the remaining 4 years to think about it
Malaysia is the one and only country in the world which penalizes the “doer”, not the mastermind! Look at the Altantuya trial, only the two puppet (supposedly them, no one has seen their real faces) are sentenced to death and the case is considered close. Does the court really care who was behind all these given that these two blokes did not even know the victim! What motive (if any) have these two bloke against a helpless woman from Mongolia?
hi all,
I think it is just a normal business transaction. The price based on demand and supply that is u afford to pay and I willing to received the amount you offered. While the selling price must depend the cost involved, current and future country’s economy and so on. We can not blindly blamed the price too high because we need to know the real condition of the land before it built the building there.
You want accountability, not 1+1=3, change the government.
12 billions = It’s like striking a RM1 Million price lottery each and every month non stop for the next 1000 years!
The entire episode stinks. The brave and righteous words of OngTK were nothing more than a shameless disguise and trickery. Now we know how(limiting the term of reference) he had tried to cover the asses of the former ministers and colleagues in MCA.
The rakyat will remember this trickery come GE13.
Dear YB
KIndly permit me to digress on another matter.
You have highlighted the matter of the Hitlers at the PSD who have defied the Minister and dishe dout scholarships at their whims and fancies.
DAP should continue to vociferously push for disciplinary action against the top Civil Servants involved who have systematically promoted their own illegal agenda.
However, scholarships are also awarded by many statutory and quasi Govt bodies and GLC. Some of these are Tenaga, Telekom, Petronas, Proton, some State agencies and possibly Maybank.
My question is who monitors the basis of scholarships and bursaries awarded by these bodies? Are they all in compliance with the 55%-45% ratio that Nazri promised in Parliament? I am sure they are not!
I think DAP should gather statistics to see if scholarship bursaries, awards and places in Petronas & Telekom Unis have been cornered by the Ketuanan Melayu champions. There should also be information on the racial mix of local vs overseas scholarships with further analysis on the much sought aftter places in medicine, engineering, law, pharmacy and ICT.
All these statistics should be comboined with those from the PSD to see what the real policy has been in practice. I am sure the results will shock everyone.
There should be very clear transparency and accountability on this issue since directly or indirectly we are talking about the Rakyat’s tax and money!!
Malays put their heads in shame …knowing ..who Mahathir slowly and right now.
Chinese have always been shamed by Ling Liong Sik balls carrying Mahathir and UMNO …close to 20 years.
This Hakka lived up to the label…”not well cooked..no eat”..in hakka…”mmm sok…..mmmm seet”….playing out the Chinese race….wholesales.
He is the only MCA president that dogs are named after him by thousands Chinese dog owners.
This Hakka low is the worst you can find in politics…..most corrupted and a great liar.
Ling Liong Sik is such a hypocrite and a liar…went to Buddhist Vihara promised to donate and help….waited and waited…not one sen came….from his promise. He also promised elsewhere..same story.
A man who dares to step in a 100 year old temple….for Buddha and lied..saying his famous sentence..’sup sup siou…mow mum tai”…meaning “no problem”…uttering those words on holy grounds and break it….you can judge who is he.
He is the most corrupted MCA leader……just like Mahathir…but smart enough to make Mamak happy…selling Chinese souls to lick b…ls of UMNO buggers.
As usual…he was smart enough to play education politics….to please Chinese….by improving TAR college.
It’s schools and and temples to win chinese votes..while he stole hundreds of millions… tax payers money.
Hello! It looks like we are a nation of puppet. When we were colonized by Ang Mou, we screeched our local leaders were soulless puppets, serving the benefits of Ang Mou. Now no more Ang Mou, yet puppet shows showing up here and there.
To address the ‘co-doers’ as puppets is quite a soft touch. I would think ‘conspirator’ is more deserving term. Scandal after scandal, amount invovled is ever increasing, we are numb and dumb towards scandals. The urgent task right now is how are we getting out from these bottomless pits. Yes certainly, getting PKR as federal government is one of the ways. However no matter who is the government, so long as the people readily taking undue advantage, scandals will be the norm too under PKR’s nose.
The rate people tempering their electricity consumption is really worrisome. This act is becoming so common even in affluent area such as PJ. So many people are doing why not me? Meter tempering coupled with TNB’s inefficiency, corruption, unsustainable diesel subsidy, before long we may out of affordable, reliable electricity supply to households, factories and businesses. Once energy supply is in question, everything can just go haywire.
We should not blame the mca leaders BUT the pendatang fools who join their corrupt party, vote for them and enable them to become ministers. Without supporters, the mca would had died a miserable and unregrettable death 51 years ago.