Did OTK get specific approval from the Prime Minister to be on the run from Parliament this week?
Did Ong Tee Keat get specific approval from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be on the run from Parliament this week to avoid parliamentary accounting on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?
By Lim Kit Siang
My three questions (No.49 to No. 51 on the 17th day in the current series) to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal today are:
No. 1. – Did Ong get specific approval from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be on the run from Parliament this week to avoid parliamentary accounting on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal, when everybody knows that this will be top on the parliamentary agenda?
Furthermore, Ong should know that last Thursday I had given notice to the Speaker of Parliament, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin that I will move a motion of urgent definite public importance when Parliament reconvenes today on the PKFZ scandal calling for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry.
Or was Ong so cocksure that my motion for an urgent debate on the PKFZ scandal today would be rejected by the Speaker that he could just go off overseas, when his first duty as Transport Minister is to be accountable to Parliament for his Ministerial duties and not to scoot off overseas under one pretext or another, like his predecessor Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy in November 2007!
Did Ong get any indication from Parliament, whether Speaker or Deputy Speaker, that my urgent motion to debate the PKFZ scandal today, would definitely be thrown out?
Question No. 2 – New Straits Times reported today that Ong will make a ministerial statement on the PKFZ scandal next Monday and that he is “expected to answer all points raised by opposition MPs”.
I had in fact asked for a ministerial statement from Ong the previous Saturday on June 6 (No. 24 in the current series), viz:
“Parliament is meeting on Monday, June 15. Is Ong prepared to give a Ministerial statement on the PwC audit report on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ Rip-off, to be followed by a parliamentary debate on the Ministerial statement and the PwC audit report on the PKFZ?”
Instead of doing so, he has run off abroad and is now forced by increasing public pressures, including from inside Barisan Nasional and even MCA, to make a ministerial statement in Parliament.
But this ministerial statement should be made today and not next Monday. Is Ong prepared to cut short his Paris trip and rush back to Parliament to make a ministerial statement in Parliament on Wednesday or Thursday, to make amends for the contempt he has shown Parliament and MPs by scooting overseas without a proper parliamentary accounting of the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?
Is Najib prepared to send out a directive to Ong to cut short his Paris programme to be able to make such a ministerial statement in Parliament on Wednesday or Thursday, to drive home the point that his new government of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” must be taken seriously not only by the Malaysian people but also by Cabinet Ministers themselves?
New Straits Times said that in his ministerial statement, Ong “is expected to answer all points raised by Opposition MPs while outlining the measures taken by the government to save the project”.
Will Ong be answering everyone of the 51 questions I have posed in the past 17 days and at least another 51 questions I have on the PKFZ scandal?
MPs and Malaysians have lost confidence in what Ong is “expected” to do. The only way to ensure that Ong respond to all the points and issues crying out for answer about the PKFZ scandal, in particular how it could balloon from a RM1.1 billion scandal in 2002 under Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik as Transport Minister, more than quadrupled to RM4.6 billion under Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy as Transport Minister, and now doubling again to RM7.453 billion and heading towards an astronomical total cost of RM12.453 billion under Ong’s watch, is to have a full debate in the House.
Can Ong give an assurance that his Ministerial statement would be followed by a one-day debate in Parliament devoted to his Ministerial statement?
Question No. 3: Although Ong has finally “consented” (does Ong think he has become royalty?) to distribute the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit report on PKFZ and the appendices to MPs, and we are given to understand by the government portal on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal, www.pkfznews.com.my, that MPs could even get the report and appendices today, this is not the case.
I asked the Secretary of Parliament, Datuk Roosme binti Hamzah and she informed me that the PwC report on PKFZ with the appendices will be tabled in the House together with the Public Accounts Committe (PAC) report on the PKFZ scandal.
I do not expect the PAC report on the PKFZ scandal to be ready in time to be tabled in the current meeting of Parliament when it ends on 30th June as the PAC is having a third meeting on the PKFZ on Wednesday.
Furthermore, who will have confidence in the PAC report on the PKFZ scandal if the PAC Chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid refuses to disqualify himself and step aside in the PAC inquiry into the PKFZ scandal because of conflict of interest. Azmi was Minister in the Cabinet which decided on the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout in July 2007.
What is the use of dangling the PwC report with the appendices in Parliament, promising to give them to MPs but not actually doing so, with the ridiculous condition that they must await the PAC report which would probably be tabled only at the end of the year?
Why can’t the PwC report and appendices be immediately tabled in Parliament amg given to MPs without waiting for the PAC report?
If on such a simple matter, the new Najib premiership cannot demonstrate its seriousness with regard to its motto “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now”, how can there be any public confidence in the administration of the new Prime Minister?
Finally, is Ong going to apologise for the parliamentary contempt he committed when he restricted access of PAC members to the four-inch high appendices of the PwC report to the 5 total hours when the PAC met on Tuesday and Wednesday and refused to allow PAC members to take back the set of appendices for more detailed study?
Lim Kit Siang
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翁诗杰是否获得首相的特别批准，而可以在本周避开国会，不必向国会交待125亿令吉巴生港口自贸区醜闻？
我今天针对125亿令吉巴生港口自贸区(PKFZ)醜闻向交通部长拿督斯里翁诗杰提出的3个问题（第17天的第49至51个系列问题）是：
第1. 翁诗杰是否获得首相拿督斯里纳吉的特别批准，而可以在本周避开国会，不必向国会交待125亿令吉巴生港口自贸区醜闻，儘管众所周知，它将成为国会议题之首？
此外，翁诗杰应知道，我在上周四已通知国会议长丹斯里班迪卡阿明，我将在今天提出一项紧急动议，以成立一个调查PKFZ醜闻的皇家委员会。
或者翁诗杰很肯定，我今天的PKFZ醜闻紧急辩论动议会被议长驳回，因此他可以出国，而身为交长的他，当务之急是向国会交待他的部门职务，而不是像前任交长拿督斯里陈广才那般，借机逃到国外！
翁诗杰是否获得国会议长或副议长之暗示，我今天提出的紧急动议肯定被驳回？
第2.新海峡时报今天报导说，翁诗杰将在下周一针对PKFZ醜闻发表一项部长级声明，而他“预料将解答所有由反对党国会议员提出的问题”。
其实，我在6月6日即促翁诗杰（现有系列问题之第24个）发表一项部长级声明，即：
“国会将在6月15日，周一复会。翁诗杰是否将向国会提呈有关普华永道报告的部长级声明，好让国会跟著辩论这项部长级声明及普华永道对PKFZ的报告？”
然而，翁诗杰却逃到外国去，目前他日益面对来自公众，包括国阵，甚至马华内部的压力，要他在国会发表部长级声明。
但是，这项部长级声明，应在今天，而非下周一提呈。翁诗杰是否将缩短他的巴黎之行而赶回国，並在周三或周四到国会发表这项声明，以弥补他蔑视国会及国会议员地逃出国外，没向国会适当交待PKFZ醜闻之过失？
纳吉是否将指示翁诗杰提早回国，以便能在周三或周四到国会发表上述声明，以証明他的新政府“一个大马、人民为先、即刻表现”口号，不仅是平民，内阁部长本身也必须认真看待？
新海峡时报指出，翁诗杰“预料将解答所有反对党国会议员提出的问题，並列出政府拯救该计划的措施”。
翁诗杰是否将回答我在过去17天裡提出的至少另外51项问题？
国会议员及国人对翁诗杰“预料”将做的事失去信心。唯一能令翁诗杰回应所有被提出的问题，尤其是为何一宗在敦林良实当父通部长的11亿令吉醜闻，会在拿督斯里陈广才当交长後在2007年时飙升4倍以上至46亿令吉，再到目前的交长下，进一步暴涨2倍至74亿5300万令吉，而且目前正向125亿令吉迈进，就是在国会中进行全面性的辩论。
翁诗杰能否保証，他的部长级声明提呈後，国会将拨出一天时间辩论这项声明？
第3.虽然翁诗杰终於允许将普华永道(PricewaterhouseCooper)对PKFZ醜闻的稽查报告及附录分发给所有国会议员，我们也被政府网页www.pkfznews.com.my告知，国会议员们可以在今天获得报告及附录，但事实並非如此。
我问国会秘书拿督鲁丝美，她告诉我说，有关报告及附录将与公共账目委员会(PAC)对PKFZ的报告，一起提呈国会。
我不认为PAC的报告能在6月30日休会的本季国会会议中提呈，因为PAC将在周三针对PKFZ召开第3次会议。
此外，如果PAC主席拿督斯里阿兹米卡立在涉及利益衝突後，不退出PAC对PKFZ醜闻的调查，谁会对PAC的相关报告有信心。内阁於2007年7月决定46亿令吉拯救PKFZ时，阿兹米是内阁成员之一。
答应分发给国会议员後，又加上必须等也许到年尾才能出炉的PAC报告条件，实在荒谬。
为何不能在不必等PAC报告之下，立即将有关报告及附录分发给国会议员？
如果连这种简单事情，纳吉的新政府都无心要表现出“一个大马、人民为先、即刻表现”作风，谁会对新首相的政府存有信心？
最後，翁诗杰限制PAC成员只能在周二及周三总共历时5小时的会议中翻阅有关厚达4寸的附录，而不允许他们回拿家详读後，他是否准备为这种蔑视国会的行为道歉？
林吉祥
