Transport Minister and MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik has sought to create a business empire through his eldest son Hee Leong by using his political influence and position in the government, claimed businessman Soh Chee Wen.

Soh, a former ally of the MCA chief, revealed this in his writ of summon filed against Linksun Avenue Sdn Bhd (owned by Hee Leong) and Ling at the Kuala Lumpur High Court last week.

The businessman is hoping to recover the RM149.2 million (plus interest and other cost) he lent to Linksun Avenue in acquiring a 32 percent equity in Berjaya Industrial Bhd in 1996.

Copies of the 22-page summon - which named Linksun Avenue as the first defendant and Ling

as the second - were distributed to the media by Soh during a press conference in Subang Jaya today.

In the document, Soh alleged that in 1995, Ling told him a 'secret' regarding his succession plan in the Chinese-based MCA, the second biggest party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

According to the businessman, he was told about this plan because Ling wanted his help in building a business empire.

Soh - who claims be the minister's business associate up to 1998 (something which Ling has repeatedly denied) - claimed Ling had planned to retire from politics when his business empire became a reality.

"From the second defendant (Ling's) point of view, the plaintiff (Soh) was the most appropriate associate due to his political and business interest," the writ stated.

For his help, Soh said he was promised a bright political career and tremendous business opportunities. He was later appointed as a MCA central committee and presidential council member.

Transition plan

The writ also detailed the party's leadership transition plan devised by Ling which he later told Soh.

The businessman said the MCA president wanted his protege, o­ng Ka Ting - who is now the party vice-president - to take over his position either in 2002 or 2005.

According to Soh, Ling paved the way for his protege by removing the then housing and local government minister Ting Chew Peh from his post after the 1999 general election.

The post is now being held by o­ng.

Ting was also dropped as the party's Selangor liaison committee chairperson and was also replaced by o­ng.

In return, Ting was made the chairperson of the Port Klang Authorities.

Soh also alleged that there was a plan to remove Ting as the party's secretary-general, a post he still holds today.

Gain strength

The businessman claimed that Ling wanted his protege to become the secretary-general in order to gain strength to contest against party rival, deputy president Lim Ah Lek ( photo ).

"The second defendant's view was that Lim lacked the character, the disposition and grassroots support to face the challenge and could be pressured to withdraw from his position".

The writ also stated that o­ng's potential threat was party vice-president and Lim's protege, Chan Kong Choy ( photo ).

It added that this could be averted by placing Chan in 'cold storage' by keeping him as the party Youth wing chief.

With Chan 'stuck' in his Youth chief post, o­ng contested o­ne of the three vice-president posts in 1999 and won convincingly.

It was o­nly at the 2002 party elections that Chan joined the vice-president ranks, but he was considered less senior than o­ng given that his rival had already held the post for o­ne term.

"The persons who were to be marginalised in the implementation of the second defendant's (Ling's) plan would be placated by their appointment to public bodies under the auspices of MCA," claimed Soh.

Ties turned sour

Soh and Ling's relationship turned sour when their business dealings fell through in 1997.

In 1999, the businessman had fled the country when he was being investigated for his role in allegedly defrauding a now defunct brokerage firm, Omega Securities.

However, he returned to the country last May to face the charges against him and is currently out o­n bail.

Malaysiakini learnt this evening that the writ of summon had already been served to Ling today.