Tee Keat accuses DAP adviser of making up stories

(The Star) PETALING JAYA: Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat blasted DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang for making up stories about the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue, which the former claimed can be “easily debunked”.

“We live in dangerous times. Stories that weave fantasy and conspiracy theories spun by irresponsible quarters are accepted at face value. These flimsy theories weaved by cowards hiding behind the veil of anonymity can easily be debunked,” he said.

Ong explained in his blog www.ongteekeat.net that his letter to the then Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on May 10, 2008, was to notify the latter on the finalised principal sum under the main development agreement.

“Firstly, there is no need to approve the RM1.2 billion since the main development works had already been approved in 2004, a decision made before my tenure as Transport Minister.

“Secondly, the technical question of variation of agreement does not arise at all from my said letter since the principal development agreement does not mention a fixed development sum. It stands to reason that since there is no fixed goalpost, the question of variation does not arise,” he said.

Ong added that he was duty bound to report to the PM of the final sum under the main development agreement as the Port Klang Authority (PKA) was given approval for a soft-loan from the Finance Ministry in 2007.

“In any case, with money available for drawdown from the said soft loan, it would not make sense for me to assert any form of pressure for additional funds to be approved,” he said.

Calling them clumsy attempts to smear his name and efforts to the right thing, Ong said there were even allegations that reputable accounting firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services (PwCAS) were working “hand in glove with me” to hide allegedly damaging facts.

“If Kit Siang has enough intellectual depth and does his homework, it will be obvious to him that findings related to the final account of the main development works, referred to as DA3 of the PKFZ report, was covered by PwCAS,” he said.

In another salvo, Ong asked Lim: “Why would a person who had directed the commission of an independent report by a reputable international accounting firm, and championed for the findings to be made public make an inexplicable decision to hide facts?”