PETALING JAYA: The DAP wants Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to explain why his ministry should not cut losses instead of continuing to allow an additional RM5 billion losses from interest costs which would push the costs of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project to RM12.453 billion.

"Ong cannot pass the buck by saying that the financial consultants and management experts will work out a more viable solution based on further in-depth studies before a solution is implemented," he told a press conference on June 1.

He added DAP would push for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate the controversial PKFZ project. The DAP was also looking at possible legal avenues on the subject.

"We are still awaiting details on PKFZ. We hope the Transport Minister will appear at our forum on PKFZ and provide us and the public answers," he said.

DAP will hold a public forum “RM12.5 billion PKFZ Scandal: Will Heads Roll?” at the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on June 10.

Lim said the DAP lawmakers could not undertake a thorough and satisfactory study of the 20 appendices of the PKFZ audit report which were kept in the Port Klang Authority (PKA) library.

"Ong has directed the PKA chairman to submit a copy of the PwC audit report and the 20 appendices to the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and the PAC (Public Accounts Committee). Is he prepared to give the DAP parliamentary team a complete set as well for detailed study," questioned Lim questioned.

Lim, who is the MP for Ipoh Timor, also said the Transport Minister must explain the PwC audit report which politely state "PKA may not have received value for money due to its heavy reliance on Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) as turnkey operator.

Putting aside the period before Ong helmed the Transport Ministry, the DAP advisor said Ong must answer what he had done in the past 15 months as Transport Minister to ensure that PKA would truly receive value for money from KDSB, adding that concerned citizens expected facts, figures and sensible answers from the minister.

Nevertheless, he alleged that Ong had refused to answer queries by the Malaysian public in the past three days on the PKFZ issue, noting that the Transport Minister had forgotten the directive of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to provide answers on every question raised by any party on the PwC report on PKFZ.

The PwC report released last week said the total PKFZ project outlay cost RM7.453 billion inclusive of interest cost on a soft loan provided by the Ministry of Finance (MoF). However, it stressed that PKA was not expected to have enough cash flow to meet its debt obligation to MoF from 2012 and thus shall include additional finance cost.

The report said should PKA fail to meet its debt obligations to MoF, it is expected to be cash flow negative until 2041 and would incur further interest cost of RM5 billion, pushing the total project to balloon to RM12.453 billion.