Thesun 2009-09-10 Page11 For Whom The Bell Tolls

theSun

11

| THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2009

INTERVIEWS VIEWS

KAMARIDUAN MOHD NOR/THESUN

really hard for you. My conscience is clear. When I made the decision to commission PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the job, I told them that this must be an entirely independent probe. At the end of the day, the PwC Panel informed me of the outcome. Throughout the process I never, ever tried to influence them in one way or another. Even the contents of the findings, I only came to know about it when the report was ready and whether it was going to implicate this or that personality. Whether from MCA or not from MCA, this never crossed my mind. That’s why I say my conscience is clear because after all, I commissioned the comprehensive audit not as a witch hunt or that I might be harbouring some personal agenda. What personal agenda? I hold firm to what I believe in but of course I had to pay a price for it ... the smears, threats, below the belt blows. Like today (Sept 7) in the Chinese papers, CSL mentioned that by brewing up PKFZ, it will blow up MCA and Barisan Nasional. They say so many things about me. The latest is that I have gone cuckoo. There have been SMS going around using my number saying I scold people and call them names. I don’t know how it’s done but they are using my name. So in the challenge to your presidency, PKFZ is the central issue and there are external forces involved in trying to topple you? When I first decided to commission PwC for the comprehensive audit last October, hardly 10 days into my presidency, I did not correlate PKFZ with my political career in MCA. It was seemingly unrelated. But little did I expect this to have sparked off the kind of collaboration between CSL … the CSL factor and KDSB (turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd) ... (KDSB CEO Datuk Seri) Tiong (King Sing); as I had mentioned in July, as well as some of Ling’s lawyers. This is something that I had never imagined. Maybe you have broken the unwritten rule that you don’t ‘kacau’ your predecessors. I don’t know because in politics there are a lot of unwritten rules. When I do certain things, what comes to mind is whether this will serve the public interest. I prioritise the public interest. That’s why I say my conscience is clear. I can tell you very candidly that when certain detractors of mine say I want to play hero, I have everything to lose

We are going to tread very carefully here because there are two law suits pending but the allegations against you could stem from people who claim to represent you or from your inner circle. I have come across all sorts of fabricated lies, self-proclaimed inner circles, self-proclaimed confidants. They know that my life and family life is very simple. They know that I don’t need to have so many levels of inner circles and confidants, like an empire. If you talk about inner circle, then what about my aides? Are they in my inner circle?

if this issue is mishandled. It is a ticking time bomb and how do I defuse it? If I do it wrongly, I’ll be blown up. You could have taken the easy way out by stalling until it becomes someone else’s problem. But you decided to take the bull by its horns. That’s right. I came in after this entire project was contractually concluded. Immediately after Hwa Beng lodged the police report based on the findings of the task force, that point of time we were talking about RM500 million to RM1 billion in fraudulent claims. Immediately after that, Tiong brought up the story that I took RM10 million from him. In the first place, at the point of time, if a person is to offer any political bribery, he would have expected something in return. But at that material time, what could I have given him as the project was completed and whatever governmental clearance was secured? Despite the various challenges we had to navigate through we have yet to call it quits. Even after the completion of the report we had taken painstaking efforts to declassify the documents. It took us awhile – four months. And those who couldn’t understand us hurled allegations but we couldn’t tell them. I don’t believe in behaving like a cry baby but this is what we had to go through. You had instructed for copies of the PwC report to be placed on the tables of all MPs in Parliament. That was not done. Why? MPs know the rules. Any submission of any literature from the various agencies must be done through the Parliament Secretariat. Meaning we can’t distribute as and when we like. We approached the secretariat but later on I was made to understand that the speaker made the ruling that he is only prepared to release the report in totality with the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) report. For whatever reasons, I wouldn’t know. I made an appointment to see him at the height of the controversy and I was told that the PAC hearing is still in progress. Of course I understand (DAP stalwart Lim) Kit Siang and his boys made very serious allegations against me, distorting facts which were grossly unfair, but I managed to debunk his biased allegations. Think about it, why must I suppress it? After all, on May 28 when we decided to release the report after getting the cabinet’s approval, we made it available to the public the next morning.

What are these road shows you have embarked on about? I have to do it behind closed doors simply because I for one don’t believe in washing dirty linen in public. Also these are untrue stories and members may be influenced by the various lies. So I think it is good to share with them the real scenario they are in now and the real challenges. For me this is part of information sharing and political education. Not just to tell them my side of the story. To me I believe in imparting to them the facts, just like PKFZ. Until today, there are certain quarters harping on their school of thought that this is just an MOT affair, a government affair and even an Ong Tee Keat affair, nothing to do with the party. I must say that is absolutely bull and which is why I need to do the road show.

So what’s there for us to hide? But you must understand where the release of documents is concerned; we must abide by the rules. But to dramatise it by saying I hid the copies in an underground strong room; that was mere drama and fabricated lies. That was absurd! Throughout the course of your handling of the PKFZ issue, did you make errors in judgment in terms of misplacing your trust in certain individuals that you had handpicked? It is not absolutely true to say that I handpicked anybody. Certain appointments I have the right to make recommendations but again, whatever recommendations I make have to be scrutinised by higher authorities. We must admit the very fact that in life, individuals with certain aptitudes may be recommended for certain jobs because of their strengths and aptitude; but one thing for sure we cannot

I can take on anybody. But I must also take into consideration that what is said in the open, might be used as ammunition against the party.”

stop any individual from being influenced by various temptations. Even our own kids I don’t think we can do much to contain them or insulate them from being influenced by temptation. Over the years I have seen many such examples but more so in endeavours, especially mammoth projects where the stakes get higher and higher. Somehow or rather people’s pattern of behaviour to a large extent are influenced or moulded by so many variables, including the temptations of money. So you are a lot more cautious in allowing people into your inner circle? People can claim what they like but the thing is that I know what I am doing. I need people to be truthful. As a friend you can come to my house but that doesn’t mean I am giving you a carte blanch to do what you like or use my name. There is an unwritten rule of how you treat a friend.

Since you have set this going, is this a new culture you are setting for the party? That is what I want to do. That is exactly what I want to do! To me this is not just a battle in the face of the EGM. It is not just that. I want them to understand that I mean business and I tried so hard to bring in a new political culture. Would you accept the challenge of an open debate with CSL? I think even before this, there was an invitation for an open debate with CJM (former vicepresident Datuk Seri Dr Chua Jui Meng). I must tell you that I for one know that if I were to follow my own wish I can take on anybody. But I must also take into consideration that what is said in the open, might be used as ammunition against the party. And that explains why I declined the offer for an open debate last year from CJM. People were surprised as to why I declined as my character is that I always take on such challenges. I don’t want to wash dirty linen in public and I have been consistent in my statements and principles.