When three businessmen bought over Magna Array Sdn Bhd in 2002, they were confident of scoring a profit with its eight oil tankers. But their hopes were dashed when the authorities 'shifted the goalpost midway during the game' because there was no bumiputera on the team.

According to Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang today, the three Chinese Malaysian businessmen had their application on Feb 25 to renew the company's transport licence rejected by the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) on the grounds that there was no bumiputera on the board of directors.

Raising the issue in Parliament, Lim criticised the act as 'unconstitutional' and an 'abuse of power'.

Millions wasted

Speaking to malaysiakini after his speech in the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the Budget 2005 , the veteran politician said the government's nation-building efforts and promises to ensure an equitable business environment would be set back by such uncertainties in regulations and practices.

"You can't change the rules midway. The rules must be there all along. If there are conditions in a license that it was only meant for bumiputeras or there must be bumiputera participation, then that's a separate matter. Whoever buys it must do it with their eyes open," said Lim.

Lim claimed that there were no such conditions in the case of Magna Array and the requirements of Transporter Licence Class C.

He said this meant that following the June 17 notice from the CVLB informing the company that the transporter licences would not be renewed, the directors had wasted "millions" in acquiring a company that would not yield any business.

"You can't shift the goal posts during the game itself! The company was shocked. They had spent millions of ringgit in acquiring the company and suddenly were told they could not proceed," he added.

Although the company did not discount taking legal measures in the matter, "going to court would be the final step if that was the only recourse left," said Lim.

Met later, former CVLB chairperson Raja Ahmad Raja Omar, who is now the MP for Larut, said he could not offer any explanation as he was unable to recollect the case in question.

"I don't know. I don't remember any such company," added the parliamentarian, who was helming CVLB in 2002.

No difference

In his speech earlier, Lim said Budget 2005 would be no different from previous budgets as long as the government did not stress on and uphold the values of accountability, transparency and good governance.

He said apart from the reference about the Special Cabinet Committee on Integrity of Government Management and "one miserable mention" in paragraph 40 (referring to the establishment of an Institute of Integrity) in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's speech last Friday, the government did not display any political will or power to tackle corruption and abuse of power.

Lim cited the example of Bolivia, which fell further down Transparency International's corruption index five years after the launch of its own National Integrity Plan in 1998.

"Malaysia should not end up like Bolivia with corruption becoming more widesparead and deep-rooted despite the launching of a National Integrity Plan and more anti-corruption expenditures," he said.