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Has Liong Sik been cleared by ACA to be specifically conferred the nation’s highest honour of  ‘Tun ?   Media Conference Statement (4) by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Friday): Has former MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ling Liong Sik been cleared by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to be specifically conferred the nation’s highest honour of ‘Tun’?  The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said all Barisan Nasional candidates had to be cleared first by the ACA.  As the Seri Setia Mahkota (SSM) award which carries the title ‘Tun’ is the nation’s highest honour conferred by the Yang di Pertuan Agong, Parliament and the nation are entitled to know whether Liong Sik had been specifically cleared by the ACA for this purpose.  This is a matter of great public interest, as the ACA had not been able to give a full and satisfactory accounting of its investigations into reports involving Liong Sik and his then 27-year old son Ling Hee Leong’s RM1.2 billion corporate acquisitions in a matter of months in 1996 and whether there had been improper Ministerial and political influence by his father as Transport Minister.  I myself had lodged an ACA report in 1997 and a second report in June 2003  on Liong Sik and Hee Leong.  Last August, DAP leaders went to the ACA headquarters in Putrajaya to find out the outcome of ACA investigations into the seven-year-case, and I was given two versions:  The first version by the ACA  Deputy Director of Investigations, Ahmad bin Mandus that ACA investigations into my  first report against Liong Sik and Hee Leong in June 1997  had been completed, that no offence was disclosed and the case was closed although my second report in June 2003  arising from Soh Chee Wen's Malaysiakini interview was still under investigation; and The second version by his superior, ACA Director of Investigations Datuk Nordin Ismail the same day who told  Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia that investigations into my 1997 report on Liong Sik and Hee Leong had been re-opened after my second report the previous June consequent on Soh Chee Wen's interview.   Whichever one of the two versions is more correct, the fact remains that ACA investigations into Liong Sik and Hee Leong are still open and pending, and not  closed. Abdullah should make a Ministerial statement in Parliament on whether Liong Sik had been cleared specifically by ACA for the conferment of the highest national honour by the Yang di Pertuan Agong. (5/6/2004) * Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timor & DAP National Chairman