By S Pathmawathy | Malaysiakini
Though the newly-appointed Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha has said there is no need to look further into the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) fiasco, opposition veteran Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) has refused to let the matter go.
The DAP veteran politician during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, demanded to know why then-Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy has not been probed despite being implicated by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the controversy.
The PAC had recommended in its report on the PKFZ controversy last year that Chan be probed for criminal breach of trust (CBT) over his allegedly wrongful issuance of three letters of support.
Chan was said to have issued the letters of support for a turnkey contractor without the approval of the Finance Ministry to raise funds for the PKFZ project, costs of which may balloon to a whopping RM12.5 billion.
Following the issuance of the letter, a ratings agency had issued an `AAA’ rating to the Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd bonds, which raised them to the level of bonds guaranteed by the government.
Bonds with government guarantees are usually only issued by the Finance Ministry.
The Port Klang Authority (PKA), however, subsequently announced that it cannot take legal action against Chan (left) over the PKFZ scandal since he – unlike former PKA general manager OC Phang and three others who were charged with criminal breach of trust and making false claims – was not a member of the PKA staff.
Responding to Lim, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong (BN-Sandakan) assured the House that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is empowered only to investigate claims of bribery.
Nonetheless, said Liew, MACC will leave “no stone unturned, no matter who they (those suspected) are and what their positions are”.
An unconvinced Lim, however, accused the government of engaging only in “sweet talk,” and demanded to know where the probe was headed.
“When will the investigation be completed, Hari Kiamat (Resurrection Day)?”
“Isn’t it true that when the AG (Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail) with the IGP (Inspector General of Police) announced the charge on three persons, the AG said that this (charge) was just the tip of the iceberg (and that) there are still several stages of investigation?
“The charges against these individuals (were initiated first) as the investigation into the whole team will take a long time. The AG also said that the individuals will be charged in stages.
“It’s been six months! But what is the answer? Zero!” Lim thundered.
Despite the PAC’s recommendation to charge Chan with CBT, why was Chan not taken to court, Lim asked further. “Is the scandal dead and buried?”
Liew, however, replied that for Chan to be taken to court, the authorities must ensure that the evidence against him is “beyond reasonable doubt”.
“Statements are not enough and not strong. (If it is) only hearsay evidence, the court can throw out the case… so give the MACC an opportunity to investigate,” Liew pleaded.