Works Minister S Samy Vellu locked horns with opposition parliamentarians in the Dewan Rakyat today over the alleged embezzlement of special funds meant to repair and upgrade schools.

It started when Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) pointed out that a Public Works Department (PWD) official had admitted that refurbishment works carried out on SJKC Kung Yu in Johor cost only about RM3,000 when the allocation was RM30,000.

The official reportedly said this when Samy Vellu and MCA president Ong Ka Ting visited the school yesterday. The 'confession' received prominent coverage in Chinese dailies today.

Lim said the 'confession' proved what Deputy Higher Education Minister Ong Tee Keat had revealed.

"Will you bring this up at tomorrow's cabinet meeting and ask the Higher Education Minister (Mustapa Mohamed) to retract his apology which was made on behalf of his deputy to Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein?" he asked Samy Vellu.

"I have nothing to do with that, I am not going to answer," replied the minister, who was delivering his winding-up speech.

Dissatisfied, Lim pressed on and asked what immediate actions are being carried out to avoid such problems in other schools.

In an exasperated tone, Samy Vellu said: "I don't have a license to shoot or hang a person. The (public works) department will take action. I just asked for an investigation this morning ... how can you ask me on what I'm going to do?"

The minister said he will wait for the outcome of the investigation into the Kung Yu school before deciding on the next move.

Samy Vellu has also reportedly asked for documents, including notes of every material and their cost pertaining to the construction of the school.

No apologies

Following this, the minister was grilled by Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah).

According to her, the poor monitoring of school projects reflected the Works Ministry's incompetency.

"Will you apologise to (Ong)Tee Keat for causing him to be criticised by a third party?" she asked, paving the way for a shouting match in the House.

Ong, who is also a MCA vice-president, was severely criticised by Hishammuddin over his public disclosure. He was also reprimanded by the cabinet.

"Why should I apologise? I have already said it's under investigation. You cannot shoot a person before putting him on trial. You're a lawyer, you should know."

"You want me to apologise to Ong? Is he from your party now?" Samy Vellu retorted.

At one juncture, the minister also argued that the controversy surrounded a paltry sum of RM30,000 whereas there are other issues that involve projects worth millions.

As Deputy Speaker Dr Yusof Yacob restored order in the House, Samy Vellu reiterated that each ministry has its own rules and they cannot criticise one another.

It's a trap

In a related development, DAP called on the cabinet to withdraw its decision to reprimand Ong.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told a press conference at the Parliament building that the issue raised by Ong was correct and the cabinet had erred in reprimanding him.

"The cabinet should correct their decision and apologise to Ong and the Chinese community who are upset over this. Instead the cabinet should reprimand Hishammuddin and Mustapa," he said.

However, MCA president Ong Ka Ting was not too thrilled about the support coming from the opposition party. He described Lim's remark as a "political statement".

"Lim can say what he likes, it's a very political statement, I will not fall into his trap.

"We will do what is proper and correct within the Barisan Nasional mechanism. We follow our correct principle, we care for the rakyat and we have collective responsibility, that's our general principle," he said when met by reporters.