theSun | THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2009
INTERVIEWS VIEWS
really hard for you.
My conscience is clear. When I
made the decision to commis-
sion PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PwC) for the job, I told them
that this must be an entirely
independent probe. At the end of
the day, the PwC Panel informed
me of the outcome. Throughout
the process I never, ever tried
to influence them in one way
or another. Even the contents
of the findings, I only came to
know about it when the report
was ready and whether it was
going to implicate this or that
personality.
Whether from MCA or not
from MCA, this never crossed
my mind. That’s why I say my
conscience is clear because after
all, I commissioned the compre-
hensive audit not as a witch
hunt or that I might be harbour-
ing some personal agenda. What
personal agenda? I hold firm to
what I believe in but of course
I had to pay a price for it ... the
smears, threats, below the belt
blows. Like today (Sept 7) in the
Chinese papers, CSL mentioned
that by brewing up PKFZ, it
will blow up MCA and Barisan
Nasional.
They say so many things
about me. The latest is that I
have gone cuckoo. There have
been SMS going around us-
ing my number saying I scold
people and call them names. I
don’t know how it’s done but
they are using my name.
So in the challenge to your
presidency, PKFZ is the central
issue and there are external
forces involved in trying to
topple you?
When I first decided to commis-
sion PwC for the comprehensive
audit last October, hardly 10
days into my presidency, I did
not correlate PKFZ with my
political career in MCA. It was
seemingly unrelated. But little
did I expect this to have sparked
off the kind of collaboration
between CSL … the CSL factor
and KDSB (turnkey contractor
Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd) ...
(KDSB CEO Datuk Seri) Tiong
(King Sing); as I had mentioned
in July, as well as some of Ling’s
lawyers. This is something that I
had never imagined.
Maybe you have broken the
unwritten rule that you don’t
‘kacau’ your predecessors.
I don’t know because in politics
there are a lot of unwritten rules.
When I do certain things, what
comes to mind is whether this
will serve the public interest.
I prioritise the public interest.
That’s why I say my conscience
is clear. I can tell you very can-
didly that when certain detrac-
tors of mine say I want to play
hero, I have everything to lose
if this issue is mishandled. It is
a ticking time bomb and how do
I defuse it? If I do it wrongly, I’ll
be blown up.
You could have taken the easy
way out by stalling until it
becomes someone else’s prob-
lem. But you decided to take
the bull by its horns.
That’s right. I came in after this
entire project was contractually
concluded. Immediately after
Hwa Beng lodged the police
report based on the findings
of the task force, that point of
time we were talking about
RM500 million to RM1 billion in
fraudulent claims. Immediately
after that, Tiong brought up the
story that I took RM10 million
from him. In the first place, at
the point of time, if a person is
to offer any political bribery, he
would have expected something
in return. But at that material
time, what could I have given
him as the project was complet-
ed and whatever governmental
clearance was secured?
Despite the various challeng-
es we had to navigate through
we have yet to call it quits. Even
after the completion of the report
we had taken painstaking efforts
to declassify the documents. It
took us awhile – four months.
And those who couldn’t under-
stand us hurled allegations but
we couldn’t tell them. I don’t
believe in behaving like a cry
baby but this is what we had to
go through.
You had instructed for
copies of the PwC report to be
placed on the tables of all MPs
in Parliament. That was not
done. Why?
MPs know the rules. Any sub-
mission of any literature from
the various agencies must be
done through the Parliament
Secretariat. Meaning we can’t
distribute as and when we like.
We approached the secretariat
but later on I was made to under-
stand that the speaker made the
ruling that he is only prepared to
release the report in totality with
the PAC (Public Accounts Com-
mittee) report. For whatever
reasons, I wouldn’t know.
I made an appointment to
see him at the height of the con-
troversy and I was told that the
PAC hearing is still in progress.
Of course I understand (DAP
stalwart Lim) Kit Siang and his
boys made very serious allega-
tions against me, distorting facts
which were grossly unfair, but I
managed to debunk his biased
allegations.
Think about it, why must I
suppress it? After all, on May 28
when we decided to release the
report after getting the cabinet’s
approval, we made it available
to the public the next morning.
So what’s there for us to hide?
But you must understand where
the release of documents is
concerned; we must abide by
the rules.
But to dramatise it by saying
I hid the copies in an under-
ground strong room; that was
mere drama and fabricated lies.
That was absurd!
Throughout the course of your
handling of the PKFZ issue, did
you make errors in judgment
in terms of misplacing your
trust in certain individuals that
you had handpicked?
It is not absolutely true to say
that I handpicked anybody.
Certain appointments I have the
right to make recommendations
but again, whatever recommen-
dations I make have to be scruti-
nised by higher authorities.
We must admit the very fact
that in life, individuals with
certain aptitudes may be recom-
mended for certain jobs because
of their strengths and aptitude;
but one thing for sure we cannot
KAMARIDUAN MOHD NOR/THESUN
stop any individual from being
influenced by various tempta-
tions. Even our own kids I don’t
think we can do much to contain
them or insulate them from
being influenced by temptation.
Over the years I have seen many
such examples but more so in
endeavours, especially mam-
I can take moth projects where the stakes
on anybody. get higher and higher. Somehow
But I must or rather people’s pattern of
also take into behaviour to a large extent are
influenced or moulded by so
consideration many variables, including the
that what is temptations of money.
said in the
open, might So you are a lot more cautious
be used as in allowing people into your
inner circle?
ammunition People can claim what they
against the like but the thing is that I know
party.” what I am doing. I need people
to be truthful. As a friend you
can come to my house but that
doesn’t mean I am giving you a
carte blanch to do what you like
or use my name. There is an
unwritten rule of how you treat
a friend.
11
We are going to tread very
carefully here because there
are two law suits pending but
the allegations against you
could stem from people who
claim to represent you or from
your inner circle.
I have come across all sorts of
fabricated lies, self-proclaimed
inner circles, self-proclaimed
confidants. They know that my
life and family life is very simple.
They know that I don’t need to
have so many levels of inner
circles and confidants, like an
empire. If you talk about inner
circle, then what about my aides?
Are they in my inner circle?
What are these road shows you
have embarked on about?
I have to do it behind closed
doors simply because I for one
don’t believe in washing dirty
linen in public. Also these are
untrue stories and members may
be influenced by the various lies.
So I think it is good to share with
them the real scenario they are
in now and the real challenges.
For me this is part of information
sharing and political education.
Not just to tell them my side
of the story. To me I believe in
imparting to them the facts, just
like PKFZ. Until today, there are
certain quarters harping on their
school of thought that this is just
an MOT affair, a government
affair and even an Ong Tee Keat
affair, nothing to do with the
party. I must say that is abso-
lutely bull and which is why I
need to do the road show.
Since you have set this going,
is this a new culture you are
setting for the party?
That is what I want to do. That is
exactly what I want to do! To me
this is not just a battle in the face
of the EGM. It is not just that. I
want them to understand that
I mean business and I tried so
hard to bring in a new political
culture.
Would you accept the
challenge of an open debate
with CSL?
I think even before this, there
was an invitation for an open
debate with CJM (former vice-
president Datuk Seri Dr Chua
Jui Meng). I must tell you that
I for one know that if I were to
follow my own wish I can take
on anybody. But I must also take
into consideration that what is
said in the open, might be used
as ammunition against the party.
And that explains why I declined
the offer for an open debate last
year from CJM. People were
surprised as to why I declined
as my character is that I always
take on such challenges. I don’t
want to wash dirty linen in pub-
lic and I have been consistent in
my statements and principles.