MCA president and Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik today said he was not aware of the lawsuit by businessman Soh Chee Wen to reclaim RM149 million from him since no writ has been served o­n him.

"He (Soh) said he had filed the suit but I have not received anything. I checked with my lawyers, I have not received the writ yet," he said at a press conference at his ministry office in Kuala Lumpur after attending the cabinet meeting this morning.

When asked, Ling ( photo ) said he had no intention to sue Soh for defamation.

"He said he had filed the suit and my lawyers are handling the case. He said he lodged a police report, I welcome police investigations o­n this.

"Let the truth emerge in the court. I also want to know the truth," he said.

No disciplinary action

To a question as to whether Soh ( right ), an MCA life member, would be referred for disciplinary action, Ling said he had no intention to do that "at this point of time".

Soh had repeatedly called Ling a "liar" and accused the minister of various wrongdoings including a 1997 plan to offer confidential road maps to a foreign investor in exchange for business interests.

In January, Soh filed a suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to recover RM149.2 (including interest and other costs) which he claimed to have lent Linksun Avenue in the acquisition of a 32 percent stake in Berjaya Industrial Bhd in 1996.

Linksun Avenue was owned by Ling's eldest son Hee Leong who made a meteoric rise in the corporate world when he purchased Berjaya Industrial from business tycoon Vincent Tan for RM1.2 billion. Berjaya Industrial was later renamed Rekapacific Bhd.

Soh claimed that he had raised the RM149 million from the sale of his six million shares in Autoway Holdings to facilitate the acquisition in exchange for political patronage and appointments into MCA party posts.

Soh originally filed a law suit to recover the money in June 2000.

But the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed the case o­n Sept 25, 2001 since Soh, who was charged a year before with defrauding a now defunct stockbroking firm of RM490 million, had fled the country.

Soh returned to face the charge last May. If found guilty, he will be fined not less than RM1 million or jailed for up to 10 years, or both.