The Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) RM12.5 billion rip-off is a heinous crime that cannot be allowed to emulate the RM2.5 billion Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) scandal that happened 25 years ago, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said today.

Recalling the then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's description that the "BMF scandal was a heinous crime without criminals", the veteran parliamentarian described PKFZ as the "mother of all scandals".

"The RM12.5 billion was not a chicken feed ... it's equivalent of five BMF scandals," he said, pointing out that the government could build four Penang bridges with the sum.

ong tee keat pkfz klang visit 060508 12 With RM12.5 billion, he said the government can build 25 universities at RM500 million each; 125 hospitals at RM100 million each; 1,250 schools at RM10 million each; or 312,500 low-cost houses at RM40,000 each.

With the enormous amount, he said the government can declare amnesty from collecting assessment for 13 years for Selangor, or 45 years for Penang. Or give the 27 million Malaysians a payout of RM338 each.

"Indeed, it's like striking a RM1 million on price lottery each and every month non-stop for next 1,041 years," the Ipoh Timur MP told a press conference at his house in Island Park, Georgetown today.

A swamp of crocodiles

mahathir global perdana war crimes forum 050207 ling liong sik Lim then turned his attention on Ong Tee Keat and challenged the transport minister to throw the book at all those responsible for the PKFZ scandal.

This included Deputy Finance Minister Chor Chee Heung, Backbenchers Club chairperson Tiong King Sing, Sementa assemblyperson Abdul Rahman Palil and two former transport ministers - Ling Liong Sik (right) (1986-2003) and Chan Kong Choy (below) (2003-2008).

He also asked whether the minister agreed that the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report had exposed PKFZ scandal as a "swamp of crocodiles", not a "can of worms" as mentioned by the MCA boss.

mca youth agm 180807 chan kong choy Lim said the scandal snowballed from RM1.8 billion scandal in 2002 under Ling, to RM4.6 million under Chan and now had mushroomed to an astronomical RM12.5 billion under Ong.

"After going through the report, I felt violated as a Malaysian citizen and parliamentarian. Does Ong have such a feeling?" asked Lim.

He also pointed out that Ong had gone back on his earlier pledge to bare all by restricting the terms of reference of the PwC audit inquiry to a position of "review", instead of allowing an all-out investigation.

Lim demanded Ong to explain on why PwC was "not asked to and advised on any strategy, valuation, legal implications, tax operational effectiveness, staff competencies or process improvement."

He also questioned Ong's intention in issuing the terms of reference to PwC which stated that "no investigation to detect any wrongdoing or audit to form an opinion on any financial information, including any forecasts and projections" should be undertaken.

"Can Ong explain why he had issued such a limited and restricted terms of reference of the PwC study, deliberately excluding from inquiry the conduct or misconduct of previous transport ministers - Ling and Chan?" demanded Lim.

Ong's response to criticism

In an immediate response, Ong said he was not involved in the drafting of the terms of reference.

ong tee keat taman muda dumpling market walkabout 290509 01 "I have no role to play in working out the exact terms of reference as it was mutually agreed upon by Port Klang Authority (PKA) and PwC," he wrote in his blog.

"However, it must be noted that accounting firms such as PwC has no investigative powers and neither can the PKA board give it authority to check on matters outside the board's own scope of authority.

He said that PwC would not be the "competent body to do an audit on legal implications of the project even if it was asked to".

"The opposition should know that professional firms have their limitations and restrictions and they cannot be expected to play the role of prosecutor, judge, and jury."

Ong also described Lim's accusation that the cost of PKFZ has ballooned to RM12.5 billion under his watch as a "cheap shot".

"It is clear from the report that the RM12.5 billion figure only arises when the debt is staggered over a longer period as a result from the projected inability to service the loan installment between 2012 to 2041.

"The projected cumulative cost will only determine in the year 2051. Many of us may not be around by then!

"The claim that the cost of the project has ‘mushroomed to to an astronomical RM12.5 billion scandal under my watch' is akin to heaping debts due in 2051 on me now for malicious political reasons."

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