PKFZ: Pua sets sights on 'forgetful' Ling

An opposition MP today urged the authorities to probe former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik for his role in approving the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, following the revelations of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its investigation of the scandal.

DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua also called on the government to declassify the cabinet meeting minutes on the issue which were not made available to the PAC during its probe as the minutes fell under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

"During his testimony to the PAC, when Ling was posed with certain key questions, he answered 'I can't remember' or its equivalent at least 11 times which raises doubts to the veracity of his answers," said Pua, who is also a PAC member.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament lobby, he said Ling, a former MCA president, had denied that the transport ministry, during his tenure, had any role in the finalisation of the land purchase agreement with Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB).

According to the PAC report, Ling said the treasury which was headed by then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was responsible for the transactions.

"However, testimonies from government officers and letters by the Property Services Department (JPPH) have confirmed that it was the ministry that had constantly requested the land value to be revised upwards from RM17 per square feet to RM25 per square feet," said Pua.

In view of this, the DAP leader called for the newly set up super task force under chief secretary Mohd Sidek Hassan, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to initiate a detailed investigation against Ling.

Pua also urged for the declassification of the cabinet minutes in the initial stage of the project, as it would help to decipher the entire sequence of events and enable the PAC to determine the involvement of Ling and other ministers to a greater extent.

"Ling usually answered 'I can't remember' so we cannot determine whether he can’t remember honestly and the best way to find out about the meeting is through the cabinet minutes," he said.

'I cannot remember'

In the PAC report released last week, the Port Klang Authority (PKA), which was in charge of overseeing the mega-project, noted that the transport ministry had signed the land purchase agreement at RM25per square feet and RM41.76 per square feet after interest for deferred payments.

"No such authority was given by the treasury for the revision in purchase price," said Pua.

"The ministry has either defied a treasury order and advice from the attorney-general for the land to be acquired compulsorily or has strongly argued against (the acquiring of the land) in securing the cabinet's approval for the project," he added.

Although Ling awarded the initial development contracts to KDSB despite a treasury order that requires an open tender for development works, Ling had told the PAC that: "I am not prepared to comment because I really cannot remember the circumstances."

The treasury also ordered the ministry to secure funding via bonds, raised by the treasury for the purchase of the land at the interest rate of four percent but instead 7.5 percent was incurred via deferred payments to KDSB.

Even to this question, Ling had replied that he cannot remember.

In the PAC report, it was also stated that Ling had issued a letter of support on May 28, 2003, to the Malaysian International Merchant Bankers Bhd (MIMB) and Pacific Trustees Berhad.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail had informed the PAC that although the letter did not specifically contain elements of a guarantee, the government was obliged to honour its words.

Pua also said that Ling must be held accountable for the entire fiasco, as the minutes of the PKA board meeting revealed that the board was "impotent in the decision-making process".

He added that approvals and agreements were made directly between PKA (former) general manager OC Phang and Ling, and therefore the latter must be held responsible.

The PAC had also recommended that the authorities probe Ling's successor as transport minister Chan Kong Choy and PKA's Phang for possible criminal breach of trust with regards to the PKFZ issue.

Chan was also the former MCA deputy president.