Thesun 2009-09-04 Page02 Tee Keat Quizzed By Macc On Pkfz

2

theSun

| FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4 2009

news without borders PKFZ business turnaround plan ready in 2 months by Giam Say Khoon [email protected]

KLANG: Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Kee Lian Yong (pix) yesterday announced that the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) business turnaround plan would be ready in two months after securing the support and approval of the stakeholders. Kee, who replaced Lim Thean Shiang in July, said although there were issues and challenges faced by the project, more so during this period of financial crisis, he believed there were ways to reposition and transform the project. He said notwithstanding the setback faced by PKFZ during its developmental stage, “we believe that the government’s original aspiration for the project to provide an attractive investment environment for manufacturers and other businesses will generate cargo for Port Klang as well as developing the port into a regional distribution hub and a trade and logistics centre”. “PKA has initiated a financial restructuring plan and a revamped business model and the authority will work aggressively to engage all relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, to seek their structural support. “However, I cannot reveal the turnaround plan at the moment because as a statutory body, we have to go back to the government (before the plan can be implemented),” he told a press conference. Kee said the issue of the authority being an ineffective one-stop centre would be addressed to ensure a competitive environment to attract investors.

Asked if the financial restructuring plan would include loan restructuring with the project’s turnkey developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), he said it could be part of the whole scheme as a financial plan would usually cover all angles. On whether PKA would consider an earlier redemption of KDSB bonds as suggested by the developer last week to reduce the project cost from the current RM4.6 billion to a minimum of RM3.2 billion, Kee refused comment but said the authority would deal with the issue at an appropriate time. He said among the new initiatives to be undertaken by the authority are to: Register all necessary logistics services providers operating in Port Klang to ensure efficiency and cooperation; Monitor the performance of port terminals to ensure compliance on efficiency in performance and activities rendered at Port Klang are consistent and on par with international standards; License all direct port activities and ancilliary services within the port as PKA has taken steps to license and regulate private jetty operators and have so far approved 20 operators based on merit; and Enforcing security and safety within the port limit and pilotage district as PKA has upgraded the vessel traffic management system with automatic identification system as well as installing scanners at strategic locations. Kee said a strategic port masterplan would be ready in six months to map out the direction of Port Klang for short and long-term planning, including a review of future developmental plans and strategies.

» »

» »

Tee Keat quizzed by MACC on PKFZ by Husna Yusop [email protected]

Much of it touched on personal details, background of the case and chronology of events. There were also some relevant questions regarding the issues.” – Tee Keat

PUTRAJAYA: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat recorded his statement at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue and the allegations against him by Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing. Ong, who is also MCA president, said he was called by MACC to assist in investigations and he had given his full cooperation willingly. “We had a lengthy talk on PKFZ and the allegation by Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd CEO (Tiong). “Much of it touched on personal details, background of the case and chronology of events. There were also some relevant questions regarding the issues,” he told reporters after the meeting. Ong was seen entering the MACC headquarters together with his political secretary Simon Lim at 10am and emerged at 1.15pm. Asked why he was not accompanied by his lawyer, he said: “I don’t need a lawyer. Why do I need a lawyer?” He said he had made it clear from the beginning that he was prepared to give his statement to the MACC should it need any information on PKFZ and Tiong’s allegations. He said this was the first time he was called in by the MACC and was willing

to go again if MACC wants additional information. Last month, Tiong who is also Bintulu MP and BN Backbenchers Club chairman, claimed he had given Ong RM10 million in cash instalments as donation for the party’s activities. Ong denied receiving the money and threatened to sue Tiong if he did not retract the allegation, which the latter refused to do. On Aug 13, Tiong was reportedly quizzed by the MACC for more than four hours over the PKFZ scandal and his allegations against Ong. Ong also declined to comment on sacked deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s claim that his supporters have amassed more than the required 800 signatures from party central delegates to requisition an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). Bernama reports that in a posting on his blog, Ong said his decision to call for an EGM is to prevent a split in the party. “After the last ballot is counted and a verdict reached, the party can return to its rejuvenation and renewal process, with little impact on the MCA,” he said. Ong also hit out at the campaign to collect signatures from delegates, saying: “Going round the country collecting signatures from delegates to call for an EGM means forcing them to make a stance. If they sign, that means they are in support of a particular leader and if they don’t, that means they are backing another one.”

PKA board kept in the dark over project, PAC told by Tan Yi Liang [email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR: The Port Klang Authority (PKA) management refused to divulge any information on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project to its board of directors despite requests to do so, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said yesterday. Azmi, who had earlier questioned former PKA chairmen Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh and Datuk Yap Pian Hon, said they found the management had ignored written requests by the board for information. “Datuk Yap gave a clearer picture on the unwillingness of the PKA management to give information to the board of directors. The perception we got is that the information was not given, even when asked for in writing,” said Azmi, who told Yap Pian Hon reporters that key decisions were made without the knowledge of the PKA board. “Some payments made by the board were only signed by the management, and many contracts and agreements were signed by the management before the board of directors was informed,” said Azmi.

“The management told the board what they wanted the board to know. The board asked for further information but most of the requests were ignored by the management, or the information was given late,” he added. “The PAC has to re-examine the management procedures, and what powers were given to the management that allowed them to make decisions without first informing the board of directors. The normal practice is that the board of directors makes the decisions, which are then executed by the management,” said Azmi. He told reporters that the requests for information had been noted in the minutes of board meetings. “We do not know what powers were delegated, so we will have to find out a bit more. The management was led by Datin Paduka O.C. Phang,” he added. He said the problem existed when Ting was Ting Chew Peh chairman. “Tan Sri Ting also said that the board only received information brought up in the agenda by the management. What was not brought up was not discussed. But when Yap was chairman, the PKFZ issue was already in the media, and Yap and all the board members wanted to know more,” said Azmi.

‘Ex-Sri Lankan child soldiers get jobs in Malaysia’ COLOMBO: A group of former child soldiers from Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels have won jobs on construction sites in Malaysia after undergoing retraining, the government here said yesterday.

The seven men, aged 19 to 21, were among hundreds of former child soldiers who surrendered in the months before government troops finally defeated the Tigers in May at the end of decades of ethnic warfare.

“This is the first batch of former child soldiers for whom we have been able to find jobs in Malaysia,” Cyril Jayawardene, a senior executive of the government’s rehabilitation bureau, said. – AFP