Ong reveals big hurdle in revealing report

(The Star) POWERFUL forces are trying to stop Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat from revealing the Pricewaterhouse-Coopers (PwC) report on Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ).

In an interview with Sin Chew Daily, Ong said they included members of the Opposition, people involved in the issue as well as political and corporate figures.

Ong said some in the Government also opposed the report being made public.

He said there was even a message from an underground figure saying that if he suddenly “disappeared from this world one day”, he should know what brought it about.

He said some people have said his move to make public the report was not accepted by the Barisan Nasional.

“They used several tactics such as threatening me, spreading rumours and using internal pressure to stop me from making the report public,’’ he said, describing the situation as “being ambush from all directions”.

Ong said he insisted on the investigation because the amount involved was too big and he did not want to leave behind debts for future generations.

He said he only wanted to solve the problem and everything he did followed procedures.

Asked what he expected to find, Ong said the project could be turned around from the business and financial angles.

However, he said the problem was that the management did not know how to manage it.

Ong said if what he has done over the matter put the country to shame or in trouble, and if there were more capable people to turn PKFZ around, he was prepared to resign at any time.

Besides the PKFZ issue, Ong also touched on MCA issues and shipping.