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Media Statement 
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Thursday): I have given notice to the Speaker of Parliament, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to move an urgent motion when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes on Monday – that there should be no bail-out of the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal unless there is full parliamentary accountability and prior Parliamentary sanction.

In my notice, I pointed out that there have so far been no proper accountability to Parliament whether by the Transport Minister or the Finance Minister about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal despite the exposes in the public domain, such as:

• (i) Hanky-panky in the purchase of the 1,000 acres for the PKFZ, despite objections by the Finance Ministry and the Attorney-General’s Chambers;

(ii) mismanagement resulting in the pull-out of Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (Jafza) from the project, which could become a “white elephant”; and

(iii) questionable cost-overruns of the PKFZ, ballooning to RM4.63 billion from the original estimate of RM1.1 billion.

• The unlawful and unauthorized Transport Ministry issue of four “letters of support” which were used by the turnkey contractor - Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) - to raise RM4.6 billion bonds and get an AAA rating from the Malaysia Rating Corporation Bhd. for the PKFZ project.

• Why the government and the 26 million Malaysians must now bear responsibility if there is a RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout despite earlier assurances that the PKFZ project would be feasible, self-financing and would not involve a single ringgit of public funds.

• Why the Prime Minister is breaching his undertaking of no bailout of mega-billion-ringgit “white elephant” projects – set to be the biggest financial scandal at the beginning of any Prime Minister.

I stressed that Parliament and Malaysians are entitled to know why the disgraceful culture of impunity continues to be perpetuated with no one, whether the previous or past Transport Minister or both, being held responsible for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad has called a a PAC meeting on the PKFZ scandal to look into two concerns:

• Will it involve any government bailout; and
• Will it affect foreign investors’ confidence in other projects in Malaysia, like the Iskandar Development Region and other developments.

The Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy will be guilty of grave breach of parliamentary privilege if Parliament and the PAC are misled into thinking that the issue of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout has yet to be decided by the Cabinet – if in fact, such a decision had already been made and taken by the Cabinet.

This is why it is most regrettable that Chan continues to keep dumb on the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal when must come out with a clear and unequivocal statement as to whether the Cabinet had taken a policy decision on the bailout, and if so, when the decision was taken and why.

Even more important, Malaysians are entitled to know why the disgraceful culture of impunity continues to be perpetuated with no one being held responsible for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal, especially when the government had been given a categorical assurance that the PKFZ project would be feasible, self-financing and would not need to involve a single ringgit of public funding.

The Transport Minister responsible for Malaysians losing RM4.6 billion of public funds which have now to be diverted in a bailout of PKFZ project must be brought to justice for gross negligence and criminal breach of trust.

If Datuk Seri Ling Liong Sik who was Transport Minister until 2003 was responsible for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal, then he should be arrested and prosecuted in court. If Chan is responsible, then let Chan be charged for the RM4.6 billion negligence.

If both Ling and Chan are both jointly responsible, then let both be charged in court – which is the only way to ensure that Malaysians can celebrate the 50th Merdeka anniversary with some pride about our national integrity instead of having to hang our heads in shame over the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal.
 

(23/8/2007)