Will Najib’s super task force on PKFZ scandal be a super “cover-up” task force to try to “get the cat back into the bag”?


I am taken aback by the announcement by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of the Cabinet decision yesterday to set up a super task force, headed by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, to investigate the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

Why didn’t the Cabinet establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal to ensure a full inquiry and public accounting of the mother of all scandals – as the Gerakan President and KPI Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon had belatedly given his support?

Unless convinced otherwise, I see the establishment of the so-called “super task force” into the PKFZ scandal as a major step backwards in public accountability and good governance, as it smacks of being a super “cover up” task force to get “the cat back into the bag” with specific reference to the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal.

What is the purpose of a super task force into the PKFZ scandal, which is to include the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail, the Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Wan Abdul Aziz and representatives from Finance and Transport Ministries, after the the PKFZ scandal had ballooned from RM1.08 billion in 2002 to RM4.6 billion in 2006 and now set to become RM12.5 billion through three Transport Ministers and three Prime Ministers?

Will the super task force now make all other inquiries, whether by the Public Accounts Committee or the PricewaterhouseCoopers and various Port Klang Authority task forces subordinate and irrelevant?

After three years of persistent questioning inside and outside Parliament as well as the recent 108 questions of “three-queries-a-day” directed at the Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, there have been some significant results in forcing into the public domain the gross and wide-ranging financial improprieties of the PKFZ “mother of all scandals” – although what has been made public is only the tip of an iceberg.

Will the super task force announced by Najib yesterday result in the PKFZ scandal again shrouded in secrecy and unaccountability?

Another query is why the Chief Secretary Sidek Hassan is now heading such an inquiry into the PKFZ scandal, and why he had failed to conduct such an inquiry earlier as this was resolved by the Cabinet in July 2007 when it decided on the RM4.6 billion bailout of PKFZ, including giving retrospective approval to the four illegal Letters of Support unlawfully given by the two previous Transport Ministers, Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy which have landed the country in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal.

There should be individual and collective Ministerial responsibility by the Cabinet members for the shocking decision yesterday to set up the so-called super task force, when the right course of action would be a Royal Commission of Inquiry to conduct a public and no-holds-barred investigation into the “mother of all scandals” in the nation’s history.

For a start, can Tsu Koon explain why he abandoned his support for a Royal Commission of Inquiry and instead accepted a super task force which might end up as a super “cover up” task force into the PKFZ scandal?

  1. #1 by Thinking Two on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 11:48 am

    Just another cover up task.
    So that no further disclosure.

  2. #2 by rabbit on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 11:49 am

    hmm tai chi is playing now, those black kambing korban will call up soon, you see.

  3. #3 by OrangRojak on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 11:53 am

    Super Task Force United!
    STFU!

  4. #4 by walkman on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 11:55 am

    Greetings,
    Uncle Lim has been doing us a great job by pushing OTK to his limit. As reading from his interview with Malaysiakini, I kind of feel with him as he is the only MCA president dares to expose any scandal, though he may be only revealing the tip of an iceberg. He is correct in saying he has nothing to gain in revealing this scandal, but earns only enemies. Now, Najib is having a tough time covering the asses of those involved before they are sodomised by rakyat. So, he does what he does best, change the investigators. Just like how the complete team of prosecutors and judiciary team is changed at the eve of the Aya… case.

  5. #5 by taiking on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:09 pm

    Could see this coming. I mean look do they have the guts to nail those responsible when one of them is the son of kutty? No way man!

    But any which way they may twist and turn, like croatia in wembley stadium yesterday, those buggers will still get whipped and bashed.

  6. #6 by i_love_malaysia on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:11 pm

    Time to push for an RCI !!! The Rakyat is again shortchanged for the wrongs done by BN govt!!! Time to ask Agong to intervene!!!

    Lagi satu project BN yang gagal !!!

    Malaysia Boleh Gagal dan Boleh Mati if continued under BN rule!!!

    I can run, but how about millions others that dont!!! They will have to pay the price of having voted (or not) those BN goons into govt!!!

  7. #7 by a g on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:30 pm

    Our Super Task Force is a formidable military formation specifically and professionally designed and constructed to shield us from any potential foreign intrusion and therefore destruction to us. So, rest assured that we are absolutely safe now!

    …Sorry!? Wot d u say I m no longer Defence Minister???

  8. #8 by yhsiew on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:47 pm

    The super task force on the PKFZ scandal created by Najib may not necessary be a super “cover-up” task force.

    I believe Najib is tired of Ong Tee Keat and Tiong King Sing who are using the PKFZ scandal as a platform to mudsling each other. Perhaps Najib is well aware that once personal grudges between Ong and Tiong are removed from the PKFZ scandal investigation, probing of the scandal will be more fruitful and effective.

    To confirm my “theory” just wait and see if Ong is allowed to participate in the super task force.

  9. #9 by sheriff singh on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:48 pm

    “…can Tsu Koon explain why he abandoned his support for a Royal Commission of Inquiry…”

    Who is he? He’s only but an invisible office decoration who nobody can see or care about, who is supposedly in charge of KoPI, whatever that is. Ooops, not even that. The Jala fellow has taken over. Koh, Koh, Koh, Koh.

    People are talking he’ll be dropped from the Cabinet at the coming reshuffle as he is “non-performing”, a big liability.

  10. #10 by yhsiew on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:49 pm

    Oops!

    may not necessary should be corrected to may not NECESSARILY.

  11. #11 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 12:56 pm

    Does this Ting -OTK hullabaloo fit in with another of Tun M’s political scheme to get rid of the existing Najib adminstration next? I don’t know. I immagine his fingerprints everywhere…he is such a trickmaster. O)r at least, it will serve TDM’s goals.

    Yes,, i think LKS is right. This looks every inch like the makings of a giant cover-up which will then fizzle like all those others…..CORRECT, CORRECT, CORRECT?

  12. #12 by yhsiew on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 1:15 pm

    Najib has to kick Ong Tee Keat out of the current PKFZ scandal investigation as rumor-mongers are already spreading the news that Chua Sok Lek is conspiring with Tiong King Sing to cause Ong’s downfall.

    If Ong is not removed from the investigation, sooner or later the Ong-team and Chua-team will get dragged into the PKFZ investigation. Najib’s super task force is a wise pre-emptive move to prevent MCA from being entangled in the PKFZ investigation.

  13. #13 by k1980 on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 1:18 pm

    Not only to to get the cat back into the bag, but also the cow head back to the cow and the C4 back to the storeroom.

    A bit of free advice to OTK— show old geezer Chua’s hotel room video to the EGM delegates and you can bet that they will jeer off that slimy claimant to the throne. Better still, get Angela Yam to appear on stage when old Chua is giving his speech.

  14. #14 by ekompute on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 1:31 pm

    Najib is the master illusionist who can even overshadow David Copperfield. That is why he earns many times more than David Copperfield, LOL.

  15. #15 by gofortruth on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 1:32 pm

    Welcome to Carpet Sweeper’s show!
    One subtle step at a time they are cutting off OTK.

  16. #16 by vsp on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 1:55 pm

    …as “super task force” smacks of being a super “cover up” task force

    —————–

    This was exactly what hit me when it was announced. All these actors cannot be reliable as they are from the very organs that can be twisted around Najib’s little finger. This to ensure that the top-level UMNOputras who have their fingers in the PKFZ pie are never exposed.

  17. #17 by Loh on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 1:56 pm

    PKFZ is clearly a job for MACC. A super task force if needed shows that MACC cannot be trusted with the responsibility. The first step of the super task force is to examine what changes are needed in MACC so that it can perform as required. Surely the super is not formed becasue of the quantum involved in claiming payment for work not done.

    If the super task force is required for a specific corruption charges, then more task force set-ups will be needed, such as to determine whether Khir Toyo lived within his means as he exhibits an unusually rich lifestyle.

    Now that the super task force has been established, get it to lead MACC to perform what should be its duties.

  18. #18 by Hakim Joe on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 2:00 pm

    I thought that the government has already appointed a task force (headed by Vinayak Pradhan) some time ago and that their report was due yesterday at the Cabinet meeting? Why is there a need to reappoint another task force?

  19. #19 by LG on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 2:12 pm

    A Government task for to cover-up the PKFz scandal???

    The PM still does not know the feelings and aspirations of the general public. Presently the general public does not trust the Government in the matter of transparency. He should call for a Royal Commission instead setting up a high level Government committees which is seen as a task force to cover-up for the dirt of the PKFz scandal that will surely implicate many former or present high ranking Government officials. If the former Minister(s) and former PM(s) were also implicated in the multi billion scandal, will the PM take action? If Yes, then it make BN so black that BN will surely lose the GE13. Thus it is most unlikely that the PM will take such action. Hence it will most likely be another cover-up like the so many mega projects. Who is so stupid to believe that the so many mega projects in Malaysia that there are no corruption involving the high level Government officials even up to the top like the so many cases in many countries the Presidents, PM and Ministers were corrupt officials. Malaysia has a very poor global index on transparency and corruption.

    If not for the Oppposition esp LKS making so much ‘noise” through these years that caused the Transport Minister Ong TK (a + point for him and MCA in regain the back the confidence of the voters) to take action.

    Prior, no one seemed to be interested in taking actions. MACC/ACA and PDRM seemed to be blind, deaf and sleeping through so many years. What about former PMs and former ministers also sleeping or were they busy siphoning the Rakyat money or ??? Today we can see that the former PMs, their families and their cronies are very rich and a number of them became multi-billionaires.

    Thus we fully agreed with PAS spiritual adviser, Niz Aziz that the Islam UMNO preached does not bring their members to heaven but rather to hell.

  20. #20 by cseng on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 2:12 pm

    We do not need the super task force for PKFZ. We just need a small task force headed by Uncle Lim, that will do!

  21. #21 by vsp on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 2:29 pm

    Malaysia Today has been hacked! Anyone knows of another route to access Malaysia Today?

  22. #22 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 2:56 pm

    Najib is wise to call in the super task force because PKFZ is no ordinary scandal. PKFZ is a SUPER SCANDAL which of course, will need a Super Task Force made up of archaeologically trained people who will ‘excavate’ without damaging the ‘things’ buried below. RCI does not have that kind of skill as it can only ‘unearth’ with no guarantee against damage.

  23. #23 by ekompute on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 3:07 pm

    Taxidriver :
    Najib is wise to call in the super task force because PKFZ is no ordinary scandal. PKFZ is a SUPER SCANDAL which of course, will need a Super Task Force made up of archaeologically trained people who will ‘excavate’ without damaging the ‘things’ buried below. RCI does not have that kind of skill as it can only ‘unearth’ with no guarantee against damage.

    An Oscar for Taxidriver… that was a brilliant analogy.

  24. #24 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 3:44 pm

    All Malaysians must envisage this scenerio: Your young grandchildren will grow up to find themselves living in a backward country like Zimbabwi. If they are lucky enough, they will get lowly paid jobs in foreign lands, the women will work as maids who will be subjected to abuse and occasionally forced upon by bad male employers.

    Our present leaders will, like most of us, be long gone. Our loved ones will have no other place to go to except Malaysia but the descendants of our present government leaders will be living comfortably in another country as they have the billions which their grandfathers robbed from us.

    This day will come if we do not wake-up now and throw the present government out. They will do everything to cling on to power to continue with their plundering, but if we are able to unite to show them at least 75% rakyat want them to go then they will have to except our decision. That way too, we would have saved our beloved country from any bad incidents possibly planned by UMNO Baru leaders.

    Wahai! BANGKITLAH SEMUA RAKYAT MALAYSIA.

  25. #25 by rubini on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 3:52 pm

    When enough lies are told the truth has come out. Now they want to cover up the truth. This shows just how grossly mismanaged the country admonistrators are. This how the country is being plundered. the tax payers money being siphoned off by the thieves.

  26. #26 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 4:25 pm

    ecompute at #23:

    “An Oscar for Taxidriver ……………..”

    Thank you for nomonating me for such prestigious award. But honestly though, if Najib will be the one presenting it to me, I will refuse to accept it.

    Of what use is an Oscar if Najib choses not to understand that anology? Of what use is it if Najib is still in denial not wanting to do the right thing? Of what use is an Oscar to me if the truth is that all top government leaders (past and present including Mah Ha Tee) are involved in the PKFZ SCANDAL ?

    ecompute, sorry to disappoint you but I do not want to receive the Oscar from someone who holds an AL-Quaran in one hand and a gun in the other hand and C4s in his pockets.

  27. #27 by HJ Angus on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 4:29 pm

    This task force is nothing more than a rear-guard action to buy more time to organise damage control and maybe pray that most Malaysians will forget about it when the next GE happens.

    Here is a pictorial version of the HP task force.
    http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2009/09/malaysiakini-and-pkfz-scandal-final.html

  28. #28 by vsp on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 4:44 pm

    Of the all the jokers included in the super task force, why has the Auditor General been conspicuously excluded? Why is the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan been chosen to head the task force? He is a flat out chief bureaucrat who most probably does not have any inkling of what the job involved.

    Is Najib afraid that the Auditor General would be too professional and would not agreed to a coverup? Isn’t this the job of the Auditor General just as it was Ahmad Nordin, the Auditor General who investigated and broke the back of the Bank Bumiputras sandal in 1986?

  29. #29 by gofortruth on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 4:47 pm

    Need special task force? MACC sleeping ah??????

    If there is ever a need to call for “special task force” it will be the duty of a Royal Commission under a good panel of commissioners to call for one. How can our Prime Minister simply appoints his own men to investigate. Stupid ah??????

  30. #30 by vsp on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 4:48 pm

    Oops should be scandal

  31. #31 by gofortruth on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 5:01 pm

    Why need Najib’s super task force?? OTK’s task force not competent meh??????? Or is it that Najib is afraid more “merde” will be unearthed? To OTK it is the survival of MCA party or the survival of those “big shots” who are “involved” in PKFZ scandal. OTK has no choice.

    We are talking about BILLIONS here, you think that Tiong guy can go it alone on PKFZ ah??????Can MACC get the truth & nothing but the truth out from Tiong???????

  32. #32 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 5:04 pm

    LKS,

    What can ordinary Malaysians do.Yes, what could we do? UMNO Baru is the SUPER POWER in Bolehland. Please do not be “taken aback” with their SUPER PLAN to do a SUPER ACT by bringing in the SUPER TASK FORCE.

    UMNO BARU’s SUPER PLUNDER of tax payers’ money and their SUPER ARROGANCE be made a once-upon-a-time if Malaysians unite to throw them out. Until then there is not very we can do.

    Anway, thanks for your constant SUPER ‘EXPOSE ‘of their SUPER MENTALITY. PLEASE continue to educate to create awareness among the rakyat until PR clinch a SUPER VICTORY in the SUPER,SUPER 13th GE.

    LKS, U R A SUPERMAN!!!!

  33. #33 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 5:11 pm

    correction ( 2nd, 1st line ) …….SUPER ARROGANCE will become a once-upon-a-time if ……….

  34. #34 by gofortruth on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 5:16 pm

    OTK’s MCA SPECIAL task force cannot solve the problem. So Najib’s UMNO SUPER task force can ah?
    They called this the last lap. (read Malaysianinsider)
    What a childish way of telling OTK to get lost to let in the bulldozers!

    Najib thinks the Rakyat are blind.

  35. #35 by HJ Angus on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 5:44 pm

    All the task forces of Malaysia will not sweeten the PKFZ scandal…. to modify a quote from Shakespeare.

  36. #36 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 6:42 pm

    Calling in the SUPER SUPER is a clear indication of Najib and his UNMOputras’ displeasure over OTK’s handling of PKFZ scandal. Mark my word, there is a covert ‘operation’ to have OTK removed as MCA president, making him the shortest reigning Mah Hua Huay Chang.
    One must bear in mind that OTK’s ‘digging’ deep into PKFZ has nothing to do with integrity; rather, it is to save his waning popularity in Mah Hua. Poor fellow, he cannot save himself and at the same time save his UMNO Baru masters.

  37. #37 by democrate on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 6:44 pm

    If PKFZ being investigated by so call Super Task Force it will be like what the Hokkien says Lanpah and Pahlan LO! KPI man K .TSU KOON should answer.

  38. #38 by yhsiew on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 9:40 pm

    But a Dr Chua hardcore supporter claimed the appointment of the PKFZ super task force, to be headed by the Chief Secretary to the Government without Ong’s inclusion, was a blow to Ong’s intention to bring the PKFZ issue into the EGM. (Themalaysianinsider)
    =======================================

    Apparently Ong’s intention of making use of the the PKFZ issue to finally oust Chua Soi Lek from the party in the upcoming EGM has not been approved by Najib.

  39. #39 by walkman on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 9:58 pm

    Greetings,
    OTK has never been a pet of UMNO since when he reveals the 30k payment for 3k jobs, whats more now is mother of all scandals. If OTK does finally being cornered by TKS and CSL, he sure will tell all since he has nothing to loose anymore. Surely all those have a stake in this scandal will not allow it to happen. OTK must first be taken out of this ASAP. But whatever the findings, no one will be responsible and soon everyone will forget about it. Just like Bank Bumi and Pawaja Steel.

  40. #40 by ekompute on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 10:09 pm

    walkman : But whatever the findings, no one will be responsible and soon everyone will forget about it. Just like Bank Bumi and Pawaja Steel.

    Walkman, you can’t talk about Perwaja Steel as that was a special and unique case where Eric Chia managed to escape only because he kept invoking his magic incantation or izzit mantra: “I won’t go down alone, I will pull Mahathir along.”

    There is a new book called “A Tribute to Dr. Mahathir Mohamad: A Great Leader and Statesman.” Maybe we should start sending him tributes like bunga mas, so that in case we have any problems with the upside-down “law” (MV7, does that looked like an upside down law?), we can also invoke his name, LOL.

  41. #41 by walkman on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 10:27 pm

    Walkman, you can’t talk about Perwaja Steel as that was a special and unique case where Eric Chia managed to escape only because he kept invoking his magic incantation or izzit mantra: “I won’t go down alone, I will pull Mahathir along.”

    Greetings,
    Probably so, OTK has yet to be-friend with any BN blood suckers, thus, he is dispensable. BN see him as an opposition within their rank, no good.

    This reminds of a story. Ali Baba is no good in eyes of the 40 thieves. At least the thieves “braved” the souls and lives to steal and rob. Ali Baba only walked into the cave and steal their plunders, without much risk. No wonder the thieves want his life.

  42. #42 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 10 September 2009 - 10:53 pm

    Here’s my tip: If you are betting on who will be the next Mah Hua Huay Chang after OTK. don’t put your bet on CSL. There is a ‘DARK’ horse whom Najib views favourably-Liow ( ‘finished’ in English )

    Najib will be last UMNO/UMNO Baru president and Malaysian PM and as for Mah Hua it is Finished or Liow ataupun Habis

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