Thesun 2009-09-09 Page02 Tee Keat Braces For Waterloo

2œ Break Fast

| WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9 2009

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Tee Keat braces for Waterloo by R. Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandez [email protected]

PUTRAJAYA: Groups from within and outside the MCA have been throwing a spanner in the works to derail the probe on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) fiasco. As the cabinet today receives the report of the task force investigating the scandal, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (pix) said certain individuals and groups had been trying their best to prevent the release of the various reports which may implicate senior government servants and politicians. In an interview with theSun at his office here on Monday, the MCA president admitted that his pushing of the issue has made him unpopular with certain factions, where PKFZ could be his Waterloo. Ong is now fighting for his presidency following the sacking of deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. He also faces lawsuits from PKFZ’s turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd and its CEO, Bintulu MP and Barisan Nasional (BN) Backbenchers chief Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing. Ong, in turn, has filed a RM500 million suit against Tiong for alleging that he had taken RM10 million from Tiong. Ong has accused Chua and Tiong as among those working against his efforts to get to the bottom of the scandal, saying the former had even said that making the PKFZ report public would spell trouble for MCA and the BN.

Both Chua and Tiong have denied these accusations. However, Ong said how he and the BN government handle the issue will have a bearing on public trust. “Detractors say I want to play hero. I have everything to lose if this issue is mishandled. It is a ticking time bomb. If I do it wrongly, I’ll be blown up!” He also said the rules of political appointment in government corporations must change, where those sitting on the board of directors must have certain aptitudes and skills. “We must get people who at least know something about the subject matter. You might be a political appointee, but at least be well-versed with the subject matter,” he said. Ong admitted that this proposal was not going to earn him many friends but stressed that this must be done if one is to learn any lessons from the RM12.5 billion fiasco, illustrating that the management of the Port Klang Authority (PKA) had operated with impunity probably because the board of directors was not savvy enough to comprehend the intricacies of port management.

“PKFZ should be made a turning point if we really want to bring in a new breed of political culture of accountability and transparency. “We don’t just talk, we must walk the talk,” he said, adding that this is the acid test to the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency. He added that the PKFZ probe must be a template for future investigations into the abuse of public funds. Ong is on a road show to meet members to explain PKFZ and counter the allegations made against him by his former deputy. He also said he will not engage Chua in a public debate as suggested by certain quarters of the MCA leadership. Ong also had this to say of certain individuals whom he had entrusted to help clean up PKFZ: “We cannot stop any individual from being influenced by the various temptations out there”.

» The full interview with Ong appears tomorrow in Conversations

Soi Lek’s poker bluff exposed? by Giam Say Khoon [email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR: It is reasonable for MCA members to start questioning whether the central delegates’ extraordinary general meeting (EGM) action committee actually has the numbers to call for an EGM. Three days after the deadline set by the committee’s chief coordinator Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho, no action was taken except to urge party secretarygeneral Datuk Wong Foon Meng to arrange a meeting between party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and the committee to discuss and exchange resolutions to avoid having two EGMs.

Political observers say the committee’s ultimatum backfired when Tan told the press before the deadline was up that the committee would submit the requisition to call for an EGM if Wong failed to comply with its demand. Some grassroots members say the strategy employed by the committee was similar to that used by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last year in the Pakatan Rakyat’s bid to take over the federal government on Sept 16. “They (the committee) repeatedly told the members they had enough signatures to call for an EGM; but what stopped them from calling it? Isn’t that just like Anwar who claimed he had enough MPs to cross over and form a new government but ended up with nothing to show?” asked a member. It was reported that sacked deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (pix) had told the central delegates in his nationwide tour that his side had collected at least 1,100 signatures from the over 2,400 central delegates, but said he could not reveal the names in keeping with a promise to those who signed. Tan and central committee member Loh Seng Kok had also said that Chua’s side has at least 800 signatures or else they would not be so confident as to ask for a preview of the president’s resolutions from Wong. “Again, doesn’t this sound familiar? Anwar had also said that he could not give the names.” It was also reported that Chua’s side is aiming to get two-thirds of the signatures to topple Ong as president. “This was also the same tactic used by Anwar when he requested to talk to former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for a ‘smooth transition’. It created a lot of hype but it was a hoax after all. The members say Chua will not sit and wait

if he has the numbers to call for an EGM. “We believe his side is still buying time to get the numbers. Look at former party president Tan Koon Swan ... he did not hesitate to call for an EGM when he had the numbers.” That was in 1984, when Tan was still a vice-president and the party was caught in a phantom-member crisis. The central delegates managed to garner 1,499 signatures in two days but the attempt to call an EGM was blocked by former acting president Datuk Dr Neo Yee Pan. However, pro-Chua supporters argued that Chua must tread carefully as the EGM could be the only chance for him to bounce back in MCA, given the opportunity and momentum created. It was reported that the committee’s major concern is that, once its requisition is submitted to party headquarters without going through the president’s resolutions, its own resolutions may be omitted or edited. In a press conference yesterday, Wong reiterated that he could only arrange for a meeting for both parties after he had received the requisition and resolutions from the committee. He also gave an assurance on the confidentiality of the resolutions and that no alteration would be made. Political observers say Chua should not waste time and proceed with the requisition for an EGM before it is too late. The committee wanted an EGM after Chua was expelled from the party on Aug 26 for tarnishing party image by his involvement in a sex DVD scandal.

Ministry’s land scandal report ready by Hemananthani Sivanandam [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday the ministry’s secretary-general has completed an investigation into an alleged land scam involving the building of a polyclinic in Johor. He told theSun the internal report was ready. Liow, who said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was also investigating the matter, added: “I will look into the report to see if there are discrepancies in the alleged scandal. The ministry will also assist MACC should they

require further details.” The land to build the polyclinic was reportedly sold by a family member of a former official from the ministry during the tenure of former minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek. The land was allegedly acquired for about RM8 million but was sold to the government for RM29.9 million. A private caveat and a power of attorney were granted to the company that acquired the land in October 2005. Initially, the 3.01ha plot was gazetted as a plot for a private school but its use was changed to polyclinic in November, a month after the land was bought.