KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat today played down the staggering cost of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) in his address to Parliament this morning, as the government tried to minimise the political damage of the scandal.
The Transport Minister claimed the development cost of the PKFZ would only spiral to RM12.5 billion, as estimated by PricewaterhouseCoopers in its audit report, if the government did not intervene.
Ong accused the DAP's Lim Kit Siang of twisting the facts of the audit report and described the move as “hysteria”.
He was replying to a question by the Ipoh Timur MP who wanted to know the reason for the the delay of the PKFZ report despite the minister’s initial vow not to conceal any weaknesses or offences in relation to the scandal which involves public funds.
The delay was caused because the government had to remove the report from the Official Secrets Act while PricewaterhouseCoopers wanted to be indemnified from legal action.
Ong said the report also had to be tabled before the Cabinet before it could be released to the public.
He said 300 complete copies of the report had already been delivered to Parliament and it was now up to the secretariat to distribute it to MPs.
Lim in turn took a swipe at the minister for attending the Paris Airshow instead of delivering his ministerial statement on PKFZ last week.
A shouting match then ensued, with Kinabatangan member Datuk Bung Moktar Radin who repeatedly demanded the DAP stalwart ask a question instead of taking pot shots at the minister.
But Lim cited Ong’s statement in the press today that the shame of the PKFZ scandal rests on the culprits responsible and Lim asked who these culprits were.
Ong said the matter had been referred to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission to investigate.
He added that it was unwise for the Port Klang Authority to point fingers as they would be opening themselves to legal liability.
“We will also be accused of being the investigator, prosecutor and judge in the matter,” he said.
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