KUALA LUMPUR: DAP parliamentarians have challenged Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to reveal the minutes of the Cabinet meetings that involved the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project since 1999 to clear the air on the land acquisition price.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang alleged that the Cabinet meeting on Oct 23, 2002 approved the Port Klang Authority (PKA) to acquire 1,000 acres of land from Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) at RM10 per sq ft, adding that Ong’s statement the Cabinet agreed on Oct 2, 2002 to purchase the land at RM25 per sq ft was not entirely true.
"He (Ong) has misled the House. He should be referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee but I doubt the resolution would even come up for debate," Lim told a press conference at the parliament lobby June 22.
Describing the PKFZ project as "the scandal of scandals," he said Ong’s eight-minute ministerial statement in the Dewan Rakyat on June 22 was a disappointment as what was revealed was nothing the public had not known.
Lim added the transport minister should be more accountable to the House and provided comprehensive details on the land acquisition price, development cost and a staggering soft loan on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal.
"It was a ministerial non-statement. He (Ong) took eight minutes to explain to the House on the PKFZ scandal but 40 minutes in his press conference. He should have taken 40 minutes to give a frank and further statement in the House," said Lim, who is Ipoh Timur MP.
He pointed out that Ong had promised "to tell all" on the PKFZ scandal but his parliamentary statement was far from it despite lawmakers' willingness to debate the RM12.5 billion scandal which is five times more than the RM2.5 billion BMF scandal in the early 80s.
Besides the project outlay that ballooned, Lim said Ong should also explain the "unlawful" letters of support issued by previous transport ministers Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy and Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik that supported the loan facilitation.
The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report found the PKFZ project outlay to have escalated from RM1.96 billion to RM3.52 billion excluding interest cost. The project outlay would increase to RM7.45 billion if interest was added.
The audit firm said as PKA was unable to meet its obligations to Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), with which it entered into several agreements to buy the land and develop the project on a turnkey basis, the authority took a RM4.63 billion soft loan from the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
PwC said should PKA fail to meet MoF soft loan instalments as scheduled and that if these instalments were deferred to match projected cash flows, it would incur addition interest cost and increased the project outlay to RM12.45 billion. The report also state based on PKA’s assumptions, it would be in a cumulative cash flow deficit till year 2041.
"As the transport minister, does Ong feel whether the RM12.5 billion to be spend on the PKFZ project is cheap, reasonable or expensive?" questioned DAP secretary general and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng.
He said concerned Malaysians were waiting to hear from Ong as to whether he personally felt the PKFZ project was too expensive, adding that the minister must be willing to take action by saving money and cut costs if he agreed the project outlay was exorbitant.
Klang MP Charles Santiago said Ong’s ministerial statement was embarrassing as he showed that he could no longer be trusted to uncover the wrongdoings that plagued the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal, noting it was time Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak stepped in to resolve the issue.
"The Prime Minister must uncover and bring to book the people that had taken money and embezzled the PKA," he added.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang alleged that the Cabinet meeting on Oct 23, 2002 approved the Port Klang Authority (PKA) to acquire 1,000 acres of land from Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) at RM10 per sq ft, adding that Ong’s statement the Cabinet agreed on Oct 2, 2002 to purchase the land at RM25 per sq ft was not entirely true.
"He (Ong) has misled the House. He should be referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee but I doubt the resolution would even come up for debate," Lim told a press conference at the parliament lobby June 22.
Describing the PKFZ project as "the scandal of scandals," he said Ong’s eight-minute ministerial statement in the Dewan Rakyat on June 22 was a disappointment as what was revealed was nothing the public had not known.
Lim added the transport minister should be more accountable to the House and provided comprehensive details on the land acquisition price, development cost and a staggering soft loan on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal.
"It was a ministerial non-statement. He (Ong) took eight minutes to explain to the House on the PKFZ scandal but 40 minutes in his press conference. He should have taken 40 minutes to give a frank and further statement in the House," said Lim, who is Ipoh Timur MP.
He pointed out that Ong had promised "to tell all" on the PKFZ scandal but his parliamentary statement was far from it despite lawmakers' willingness to debate the RM12.5 billion scandal which is five times more than the RM2.5 billion BMF scandal in the early 80s.
Besides the project outlay that ballooned, Lim said Ong should also explain the "unlawful" letters of support issued by previous transport ministers Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy and Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik that supported the loan facilitation.
The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report found the PKFZ project outlay to have escalated from RM1.96 billion to RM3.52 billion excluding interest cost. The project outlay would increase to RM7.45 billion if interest was added.
The audit firm said as PKA was unable to meet its obligations to Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), with which it entered into several agreements to buy the land and develop the project on a turnkey basis, the authority took a RM4.63 billion soft loan from the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
PwC said should PKA fail to meet MoF soft loan instalments as scheduled and that if these instalments were deferred to match projected cash flows, it would incur addition interest cost and increased the project outlay to RM12.45 billion. The report also state based on PKA’s assumptions, it would be in a cumulative cash flow deficit till year 2041.
"As the transport minister, does Ong feel whether the RM12.5 billion to be spend on the PKFZ project is cheap, reasonable or expensive?" questioned DAP secretary general and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng.
He said concerned Malaysians were waiting to hear from Ong as to whether he personally felt the PKFZ project was too expensive, adding that the minister must be willing to take action by saving money and cut costs if he agreed the project outlay was exorbitant.
Klang MP Charles Santiago said Ong’s ministerial statement was embarrassing as he showed that he could no longer be trusted to uncover the wrongdoings that plagued the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal, noting it was time Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak stepped in to resolve the issue.
"The Prime Minister must uncover and bring to book the people that had taken money and embezzled the PKA," he added.
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