Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has ordered oil and gas giant Scomi Group to issue a report on their business activities, especially in areas concerning government projects.

Abdullah made the decision due to allegations that he 'lied' during a televised interview on Aug 7 that his son and majority shareholder of Scomi, Kamaluddin, received lucrative government projects.

"One of the issues which I touched on relates to my son's business and (after the interview) I received a letter saying that Pak Lah lied.

"I read the letter, and there were information that I was unaware of because I don't run my son's businesses. I didn't ask him to report to me because he is a grown man," said Abdullah, according to Bernama today.

"I have asked for the report. Give me time to look at it. If I was wrong, I don't want to lie, I will apologise to all," Abdullah said in his address at the opening of the Umno Ampang division delegates meeting this afternoon.

During the 40-minute pre-recorded interview with Bernama chairperson Mohd Annuar Zaini, Abdullah denied allegations that Kamaluddin received a leg up in the form of government projects on the basis that he was the prime minister's son.

Open letter

Last month, malaysiakini published an open letter detailing a number of government projects which Scomi had secured.

Kamaluddin had maintained that he had received no help from the government.

Over the past few years, 38-year old Kamaluddin has grown as one of Malaysia's top business tycoons with a personal wealth estimated at RM330 million.

Scomi is believed be bidding for the Penang monorail project through its subsidiary MTrans, while it also has a contract to transport coal from Telekom-owned mines in Indonesia.

In the same televised interview, Abdullah revealed that Kamaluddin had successfully bid for a project involving state-owned oil company Petronas, but it was "very little" compared to other foreign companies.