By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — DAP wants Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik investigated for his role in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), police and the newly set up super task force headed by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.
The party also wants Cabinet meeting minutes, which were inaccessible to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probe into PKFZ, to be declassified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
“I think once Cabinet meetings are declassified and access to what was deliberated during the meeting is given then we can tell with greater certainty the involvement of the Cabinet ministers, including Tun Ling.
“Tun Ling usually answered ‘I can’t remember’ so we can’t determine whether he can’t remember honestly and the best way to find out about the meeting is through the Cabinet minutes,” DAP’s Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, who is a member of the PAC, told reporters in Parliament.
The former Transport Minister had denied to a recent PAC probe that his ministry had any role in the finalisation of the land purchase agreement with Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd but instead blamed the Treasury which was headed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
However, testimonies from the government and letters by the Property Services Department (JPPH) confirmed that the ministry had constantly requested the land value to be revised from RM17psf to RM25psf.
The PAC report released last week also revealed that the Port Klang Authority (PKA) and the ministry had signed the land purchase agreement at RM25psf and RM41.76 psf after interest for deferred payments but the revision was not approved by the Treasury.
The ministry had also awarded the initial development contract to KDSB without any tender despite a direct order by the Treasury requiring an open tender for the project.
The Treasury also ordered the ministry to secure funding via bonds, raised by the Treasury, for the purchase of the land at the interest rate of 4 per cent but instead 7.5 per cent was incurred via deferred payments to KDSB.
When Dr Ling was asked on the above matter, his answer was that he could not remember.
Dr Ling also issued a letter of support, dated May 28, 2003, to the Malaysian International Merchant Bankers Bhd (MIMB) and Pacific Trustees Berhad during his last days in office.
However, Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail had informed the PAC that although the letter did not specifically contain elements of a guarantee the government was obliged to honour its word.
The minutes of the PKA board meetings also showed that approvals and agreements were made between the general manager of PKA, Datin OC Phang and the Ling.
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