Klang MCA division chief Teh Kim Poo has been recommended as chairperson for both Port Klang Authority (PKA) and Port Melaka Authority (PMA) for a year from April 1.

NONE PKA is a statutory body under the transport ministry and governs the scandal-ridden Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), which has chalked up billions of ringgit in debt and is still struggling to service its loan.

"The transport ministry has recommended Teh Kim Poo ( left ) to be appointed as the chairperson for PKA and PMA, effective from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012,", said a statement released by Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha (below) today.

It said the recommendation is based on Section 2(4) of the Port Authority Act 1963.

"The ministry is of the view that with the appointment of Teh, issues faced by PKA and PMA, especially issues related to policy, will be addressed, apart from ensuring that the interests of (both bodies) will always be protected."

bagan pinang kong chor har 051009.jpg The power to appoint the chairperson of both bodies is vested in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, but the posts - as well as that of Penang Port Commission head - are traditionally reserved for MCA politicians.

MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek had recommended himself as the chairperson of the Penang Port Commission and was later appointed to it by the King.

Teh, who is chairperson of Selangor MCA and head of Klang BN, was defeated in the Klang parliamentary seat by DAP’s Ronnie Liu in the 2008 general election.

Main challenge ahead

Lee Hwa Beng, a staunch supporter of former party president and former transport minister Ong Tee Keat, had been appointed to the PKA post in 2008.

NONE In an interview with Malaysiakini in January this year, Lee had warned that his successor would face two daunting choices resulting from the multi-billion ringgit PKFZ scandal.

The first decision was whether to sue the former directors of PKA for failing to carry out their fiduciary duty, as recommended by Skrine, the legal firm engaged by PKA.

However, the PKA board, at in a meeting last week, decided not take legal action against its predecessors.

The second challenge is whether PKA should pay the RM487 million due to PKFZ turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd in the middle of the year.