theSun | TUESDAY JUNE 23 2009
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Eight minutes of shame, says Lim
DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang decribed Transport Minister Ong Tee
Keat’s statement on the Port Klang Free Zone in parliament as “eight
minutes of shame”.
“The minister did not reveal anything new to the public in his
eight-mute statement. He spent 40 minutes in a press conference to
explain his ministerial statement. Instead, he should have spent 40
minutes in the house ... ,” Lim said at the parliament lobby.
The Ipoh Timor MP said he expected a longer session in the house
to debate what he called “the scandal of all scandals”.
Describing it as more heinous than former prime minister Tun
Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s RM2.5 billion Bumiputra Malaysia Finance
scandal, Lim challenged Ong to issue a ministerial statement on all
cabinet meetings held since 1999 on matters relating to the PKFZ.
Speed-limiting device for express buses
THE Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) is studying the
suitability and effectiveness of installing a speed-limiting device
on express buses in an effort to prevent accidents, Transport
Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said.
A study is necessary as the measure would involve addi-
tional cost to the transportation industry, whose view would be
sought before any policy is implemented, he said in replying to
a question from Datuk Johari Abdul (PKR-Sungai Petani).
Ong also said the government did not intend to require
express and tourist buses to lock their accelerator pedal
mechanisms to control the speed of the vehicles.
He said the CVLB had made it a requirement, effective Au-
gust last year, for new express buses to be equipped with a
Global Positioning System (GPS) facility before they could be
licensed. “This enabled express bus operators to monitor and
supervise bus drivers and learn of offences committed in real
time.” – Bernama
Animal Feed Bill after 14 years
THE House passed the Animal Feed Bill 2008 which among others
facilitates the establishment of a Animal Feed Board.
Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Noh Omar, in
winding up the debate on the Bill, said the board would supervise the
quality of animal feed and supplements by controlling their import,
production, sale and consumption. The aim is to ensure animal feed
fulfils nutrient needs and is not contaminated so that the animals
and products are safe for human consumption and other purposes,
he said.
On the 14-year delay in tabling the Bill, he said the government
had to consider its readiness as well as that of the industry in terms
of the need for capacity development and to ensure effective imple-
mentation and enforcement. “Besides, careful study was also needed
to ensure its implementation was in line and did not overlap with
other laws such as the Poison Act 1952 and Food Act 1983, so that
all relevant laws complemented each other in accordance with the
food safety concept from farm to table.” – Bernama
‘RTM carries news on Opposition, too’
RADIO Televisyen Malaysia broadcasts news by their overall
value and provides coverage of the opposition too.
Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister,
Senator Heng Seai Kie, said programmes and news items were
broadcast by the station based on the criteria of worthiness
such as national interest, currency, human and public interest.
“RTM’s news coverage has to do with its main role as the
official media, so it is different from private TV stations. We
have a committee that manages issues to determine news
worthiness,” she said in reply to Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Inde-
pendent-Pasir Mas). “RTM’s news coverage of the Opposition
depends on whether it is of public interest. For instance, we
covered the recent PAS general assembly.” – Bernama
1st reading of bill to amend Suhakam Act
MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri
Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz tabled for first reading the Human
Rights Commission of Malaysia (Amendment) Bill 2009.
The amendment seeks to consolidate transparency in the
appointment of Suhakam members with a provision for the
participation of civil society in the process.
It seeks to amend Section 11A of the Act to provide for a
change in the membership of the committee established under
the section, with the three prominent persons replaced by
three members of civil society having knowledge or practical
experience in the matter of human rights.
The bill also seeks to delete Sub-section 11A(6) of the Act
which states that the prime minister is not bound by the views
or proposals of the appointed members of the commission.
– Bernama
Transparency International seeks anti-corruption heroes
BERLIN: Transparency International (TI), Latin America and the Middle East.
the global anti-corruption organisation, These have included journalists, public
is calling for nominations for the 2009 prosecutors, accountants, government
Integrity Awards which recognise unfal- officials and leaders of civil society
tering courage, exceptional leadership who have gone against the current to
or innovation in fighting corruption, par- become examples and sources of in-
ticularly under difficult circumstances. spiration in the fight against corruption
Now in its eighth edition, the awards in its many forms.
have honoured individuals and organi- “Behind every serious effort to fight
sations from Asia and Africa, Europe, bribery and embezzlement stands a
Maria J. Dass, Giam Say Khoon and Hemananthani Sivanandam at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday
RM12.5b cost only if loan
repayment delayed: Ong
THE Port Klang Free Zone’s (PKFZ) cost
of RM12.5 billion as estimated by Price-
waterhouseCoopers (PwC) in its position
review is hypothetical, Transport Minis-
ter Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said.
In his four-page ministerial statement,
Ong said the overall cost of RM12.5 bil-
lion in 2051 would only apply if the Port
Klang Authority (PKA) – still on schedule
with its projected cash flow for up to 2051
– delayed its repayment of a RM4.38 bil-
lion soft loan from the government.
“The estimation was also made by
PwC in a scenario in which there is no
government intervention or effort by the
PKA to promote PKFZ. The fact is, PKFZ
Sdn Bhd has initiated promotions and
the PKA is seeing results as more tenants
show interest (in the PKFZ),” he said.
Ong pointed out that the main prob-
lem with the PKFZ was the increase in
the overall cost of the project. He said
the initial estimated cost for land acq-
uisition and development in 2002 was
only RM1.96 billion, which increased to
RM3.53 billion last year.
Ong explained that based on the int-
erest from delayed payments to PKFZ’s
turnkey developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn
Bhd as well as the variation order and
professional fee, the development cost
would balloon to RM4.9 billion in 2017.
He said a special taskforce to address
the PKFZ’s shortcomings had been es-
tablished to benefit the public and not to
fulfill the political agenda of any party.
When Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh
Timur) attempted to take Ong to task
for reading out his statement, Ong called
him a “creature”. He was told to retract
his word by Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri
Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar fol-
lowing a protest from Fong Po Kuan
(DAP-Batu Gajah).
Lim also led a walkout by DAP MPs
to protest being denied the opportunity
to ask questions after Ong had presented
Lim and Ong make up after their shouting match in the House.
courageous magistrate or fearless
journalist, a selfless whistleblower, an
honest business person, a true civil
servant or a resourceful NGO. The Integ-
rity Awards exist because such persons
or organisations deserve recognition for
their contribution to a corruption-free
society,” said Sion Assidon, head of the
Integrity Awards Committee, which
evaluates nominations and chooses
his statement.
Earlier, when replying to Lim during
question time, Ong said: “The current
scenario shows that stern and compre-
hensive action had been taken by the
Transport Ministry. It is unfortunate that
there is an individual who twisted (the
facts) and spread lies that PKFZ’s debt
had ballooned to RM12.5 billion.”
He said the project’s cost could not
be finalised as its accounts had yet to
be closed, pendi ng a possible financial
restructuring following a report by the
special taskforce.
Ong also said Barisan Nasional
Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk
Seri Tiong King Sing, who is the Bintulu
MP, was only the chief executive officer
of Kuala Dimensi, the company that sold
the land to the PKA. “According to my
records, he (Tiong) did not hold any
position on PKA’s board nor in PKFZ
Sdn Bhd when the transaction and dev-
elopment of the land took place,” he said
to a question on whether Tiong had a
conflict of interest in the deal.
In a supplementary question, Lim
demanded that Ong name the culprits
behind the PKFZ scandal and that
former PKA chairman and transport
minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik explain
the matter, to which Ong said the issue
could not be resolved if Lim continued
to be hysterical. “It is clear the senior
MP (Lim) did not read the report. What
had been questioned is stated in the PwC
report and it is not up to PwC to tell us
who should face action.”
When Lim continued to press for
names, he was stopped by Deputy
Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee.
In a press conference in the parlia-
ment lobby, Ong said he regretted the
actions of Lim and his colleagues in
ignoring the Standing Orders during
question time.
“We have followed the rules in
ORIENTALDAILYPIX
the winners.
Launched in 2000, the goal of the
awards is to offer greater recognition
and support to those who unmask
corruption and actively fight it, often at
great personal risk.
Last year, TI honoured David Leigh,
onvestigations editor at the Guardian
(UK) and Roman Shleynov, investigations
editor at Novaya Gazeta (Russia) for their
œ5
answering all relevant questions, but
a ministerial statement should only be
read out without any interjection or
questions,” he said.
Ong said that if Lim had “intellectual
depth”, he would not have misinterpret-
ed or twisted the report, especially on
the PKFZ’s estimated overall cost of
RM12.5 billion in 2051.
Ong also rebutted a claim that he had
applied for another soft loan of RM1.2
billion for the PKFZ from the govern-
ment last year in his capacity as transport
minister. He said it was part of a RM4.38
billion soft loan approved by the Finance
Ministry in 2007 and that he had only
written to former prime minister and
finance minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi to notify him of the confirmed
principal sum under the development
agreement.
“I had only carried out my duty and
the loan was approved before my tenure
as transport minister began.”
Kit Siang
wants apology
LIM Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) has
demanded that Transport Minister
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat apologise
for alleged contempt of parliament
and breach of privilege in the delivery
of a ministerial statement on the Port
Klang Free Zone.
He accused Ong of deliberately
misleading the House in failing to
give a full and proper account of the
cabinet’s decisions in relation to the
acquisition of land for the PKFZ.
“Ong misled the House when he
said the cabinet on Oct 2, 2002, made
the decision to allow the Port Klang
Authority to buy 1,000 acres of land
for RM1.08 billion at RM25 per square
foot, based on the position of the
Selangor government that the land
could not be acquired under Section
3 (1) (a) of the Land Acquisition Act
1960 because the PKFZ was not a
public project,” Lim said.
“I pointed out that Ong had misled
parliament as he had not referred to a
cabinet decision three weeks later on
October 23, 2002 that the land should
be acquired by the Transport Ministry
under the Act at the price of RM10.16
per square foot.”
He said Ong had not replied to
this, which was another instance of
ministerial irresponsibility and cow-
ardice. “If Ong fails to tender a public
apology in the next 24 hours, I will
submit a motion to refer him to the
Committee of Privileges for violating
Standing Order 36 (12).
“This is what Deputy Speaker
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku
Jaafar said was the option before me,
based on his understanding of the
scandal involving British war minister
John Profumo when he made a min-
isterial statement in parliament which
proved to be incorrect and untrue.”
research and exposure of corruption in
defiance of bureaucratic obstacles and
the risk of legal action against them, in
order to penetrate secret webs.
Nominations will be accepted until Sept
30. To download nomination forms and
guidelines, log on to www.transparency.
org/integrityawards.