300,000 COPIES DAILY Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)

30 SEN for delivery to your doorstep

2009 AWARDS
Award winning newspaper
for excellence in
investigative reporting

No. 4825 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)

Monday
August 17, 2009
TELLING IT AS IT IS www.sun2surf.com

Dream pg17 » MACC advised to continue its work pg5 » Freddie’s last stand pg27 Sports

believer

Tee Keat faces members

by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri

divisional activities.
He claimed that a certain individual
tion and will give full cooperation to it. Tiong’s statement to a vernacular newspaper
Wong said, however, that the party can on Saturday that Wanita MCA chief Datin
had asked him to help Ong, who was party accept donations as a form of income under Paduka Chew Mei Fun had also received
vice-president then, and MCA as he had the Article 137 of its constitution, adding that the donations from him, after she criticised his
Ong Tee Keat yesterday faced 700 grassroots political influence and network, and could help clause does not specify the method or amount allegation against Ong, as a means to divert
leaders at a closed-door briefing at party head- rejuvenate the party. of donations. attention from the PKFZ fiasco involving his
quarters ostensibly to answer questions on an Tiong said Ong had not asked him for a Meanwhile, Tee said there was no need for company.
alleged RM10 million donation by tycoon specific sum of donation and he came up with Tiong to tell the whole world about donations Chew has since also responded that the
politician Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing. the RM10 million figure on his own. he made for welfare purposes. RM30,000 donation received two years ago
Ong declined to reveal what exactly he He said that if he knew things would end He explained that MCA usually plays the from Tiong was for the construction of the
told the party division leaders, secretaries and up this way, he would have insisted on issuing role of a middleman to help raise funds for Selangor and Federal Territory senior citizens
treasurers, saying that his message was strictly cheques instead of giving cash. charitable bodies, and that such donations are welfare centre costing RM3 million.
for their ears only. Meanwhile, MCA secretary-general Datuk given directly to the charities without going
He, however, described the meeting as Wong Foon Meng yesterday said party through the party.
interactive as “the members had posed members who attended the briefing, gave full He was commenting on
some good and sharp questions to the party support to Ong and pledged to defend him in
leadership”. facing the issue.
Asked if the members were convinced by He said
his explanation, he said he would leave it to
them to say if they accepted his explanation
or not.
all questions
regarding the Test pilot killed in crash
PKFZ scandal TAIPING: A British pilot and died at the scene. ior operations officer Mohd request and that the plane
He also disclosed that he has yet to be and donation, was killed yesterday when He said Robert, in his Sobri Abdullah was at an altitude of 200m
approached by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption posed to the the plane he was test-fly- 50s, was testing the short said fire and when it suddenly plunged
Commission (MACC) to facilitate investiga- party leadership ing crashed and burst into take-off and landing air taxi rescue per- to the ground and erupted
tions into Tiong’s allegation. were answered flames shortly after take- dubbed Jetpod developed in sonnel were into a ball of fire.
Ong also declined to comment on Deputy clearly by the off from the Tekah airstrip Britain, belonging to Sya- on stand-by Fire and rescue person-
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s leaders. around 12.30pm. rikat Patimas Technology s i n c e nel provided emergency
advice that both he and Tiong, who is Kuala At a press Taiping deputy police Centre, when the incident 8.30am at response but could not save
Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) chief executive conference later, chief Supt Syed Abdul happened. the airstrip Robert, he said, adding that
officer, Bintulu MP and Barisan Nasional Back- MCA treasurer- Wahab Abdul Majid said Taiping Fire and on the investigations had sarted to
benchers Club head, should “not wash their general Tan Sri Michael Robert suffered R e s c u e c o m - determine the cause of the
dirty linen in public”. Tee Hock Seng severe burns and injuries s e n - p a n y ’ s crash. – Bernama
The transport minister had last week said the party had
denied an allegation that he had taken a RM10 not received any
million “loan” from Tiong and lodged a police donation during
report for criminal defamation against Tiong, his tenureship
and demanded an apology from him, within since November
a week. last year.
The MACC had questioned Tiong for about “The party is
six hours over the issue. He confirmed to financially stable,
China Press that he was questioned on Friday so the allegation
but declined to give details. of RM10 million
He had also been questioned by MACC on donation made by
Thursday, following the release of the Port Tiong is baseless.
Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) special task force’s “Party leaders are
report on Monday that KDSB, as the project not encouraged to
turnkey developer, had allegedly made accept donations in
excessive claims for work done totalling up to their personal capacity
RM1 billion. and all donations to the
S PIC

In response to Ong’s query on Thursday, party must be made

as to whether the RM10 million was “a loan, directly to the party,”
CHINA PRES

donation, or bribe?” Tiong was quoted by he said, adding that the

Sin Chew Daily on Saturday as saying the party welcomed MACC
money was “a donation” to MCA for the party’s to conduct an investiga-