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Samy Vellu given 72 hours to provide satisfactory explanation for the two contradictory figures of two Cabinet Ministers, i.e. RM60 million and RM85 million, for Parliament renovation failing which ACA report would be lodged asking for investigation into the missing RM25 million   Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh, Thursday): I am giving the Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu 72 hours to provide satisfactory explanation for the two contradictory figures of two Cabinet Ministers, i.e. RM60 million and RM85 million, for Parliament renovation, failing which  an Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) report would be lodged asking for investigation into the missing RM25 million from the renovation. Samy Vellu visited Parliament on Tuesday on his return from his visit to India and Pakistan and after a short and cursory inspection, announced that the Parliament House “leak”  last Thursday drenching the chamber of the Dewan Rakyat,  disrupting power supply for the whole Parliament House and bringing parliamentary proceedings to an abrupt and disgraceful halt was “a small problem”, that repairs were completed by the contractor within 24 hours of the incident and that  there were no more leaks in Parliament House. He also said that the Parliament renovation cost RM60 million which contradicts the statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz in Parliament  a year ago that the total cost of Parliament renovation was RM85 million and that RM57 million had been spent by May last year. Who are the MPs and the 26 million Malaysians to believe – Samy Vellu and RM60 million or Nazri and RM85 million for Parliament renovation? Unless satisfactory explanation is given by Samy Vellu in the next 72 hours for the shocking RM25 million difference in the cost of Parliament renovation by two Cabinet Ministers, I would lodge a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency on Monday for investigation into the missing RM25 million from Parliament renovation as well as  full investigation into every item of expenditure to ensure that there is no corruption or any form of abuse of power in the Parliament renovation. It is clear that Parliament and the Malaysian taxpayers are not getting the full worth of every ringgit spent for  the Parliament renovation or there would not be so many mishaps even before  the full completion of the renovation project, including: Dewan Rakyat chamber ceiling leak; Two Dewan Negara chairs breaking in the morning session of the first sitting after renovation on Tuesday, with both victims UMNO Senators; Ceiling leak in the Parliament media centre; Frequent power breakdown, both in the chamber and the 18-storey tower block; Sub-standard workmanship, supervision and materials used. It is a shame that MPs, who should be  managing their own domestic affairs concerning the parliamentary building, are completely in the dark about the costs and details of the RM60 million or RM85 million Parliament renovation – another proof of Parliament being just a rubber stamp with a status even lower than a government department. (5/5/2005) *  Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Opposition Leader, MP for Ipoh Timur & DAP Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission Chairman