The first order of business when the Parliament reconvenes on Monday will be to discuss the RM4.6 billion bailout of the troubled Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ). That is if Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has his way.

Lim ( left ) said today that he had given notice to Parliament speaker Ramli Ngah to move an urgent motion on the matter.

He argued that Parliament is entitled to know whether past or present transport and finance ministers are responsible for wasting billions of ringgit of taxpayers money.

"If Ling Liong Sik who was transport minister until 2003 was responsible for the scandal, then he should be arrested and prosecuted in court. If (present transport minister) Chan (Kong Choy) is responsible, then let Chan be charged for the RM4.6 billion negligence," Lim said.

"If both Ling and Chan are both jointly responsible, let both be charged in court which is the only way to ensure that Malaysians can celebrate the 50th Merdeka anniversary with some pride about our national integrity instead of having to hang our heads in shame."

In a series of reports two months ago, malaysiakini revealed a tale of corruption, abuse of power and mismanagement involving the mega-project.

Nation's biggest bailout

The PKFZ was mooted eight years ago by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but much of the debt incurred after his handpicked successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, took the helm.

The bailout, if pushed through, could become the biggest in Malaysia's history.

The free trade zone aims to turn Malaysia into a cost-effective logistics and manufacturing hub that would rival China.

Jafza International, the global free trade zone operator responsible for turning Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone into a premier investment destination, was tapped to operate and manage the project.

But last month, Jafza walked out of the project after a series of disagreements with the free trade zone's main promoter, the state-controlled Port Klang Authority.

This included the discovery by the Dubai-based company regarding discrepancies in the minutes of some key meetings and an audit indicating that financial transactions could open Jafza to potential charges of tax evasion in Malaysia.

Lim said there are a number of crucial issues which must be addressed:

  • Hanky-panky in the purchase of the 1,000 acres for the PKFZ, despite objections by the Finance Ministry and the Attorney-General's Chambers.

  • Mismanagement resulting in the pull-out of Jafza.

  • Questionable cost-overruns, ballooning to RM4.63 billion from the original estimate of RM1.1 billion.

  • The unlawful and unauthorised Transport Ministry issue of four 'letters of support' which were used by the turnkey contractor - Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) - to raise RM4.6 billion bonds and get an AAA rating from the Malaysia Rating Corporation Bhd for the project.

    • TI echoes Shahrir's call

    Meanwhile, corruption watchdog Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) today backed the call by Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee chairman Shahrir Samad ( left ) for an immediate and transparent probe into the scandal.

    "TI-M views seriously the allegation that no investigations had been made by the authorities despite reported signs of the looming troubles as early as two years ago," said the watchdog's president, Ramon V Navaratnam

    Shahrir, who is Umno's Johor Bahru member of parliament, will convene a PAC meeting to examine two issues in the scandal:

    • Whether it involved government bailout

  • Whether it will affect foreign investors' confidence in other projects, such as Johor's Iskandar Development Region.

    • "The inquiry must examine the roles played in the fiasco by the ministers involved, officials responsible for the management of the port and related bodies," said Navaratnam.

    Navaratnam also stressed that the RM4.6 billion is Malaysian public's property which can be used for other important purposes such as education, public transport enhancements projects and healthcare.

    SPECIAL REPORT: Poser over mega 'ghost town'