PKFZ – only the truth matters

(The Star) PETALING JAYA: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has made two startling statements over the past few weeks.

First, he revealed that companies and individuals had collaborated to stop him from disclosing the audit report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue.

The Transport Minister also disclosed that the forces included persons involved in the PKFZ as well as political-business forces.

The no-nonsense MCA leader did not name names but he has dropped sufficient hints for the political and media circles to know who he is talking about.

Ong has even disclosed that a note delivered to him read: “If you’re wiped out from this world some day, you should know why this has happened.”

On Friday, the Transport Minister went a step further – he revealed that the PKFZ issue has been used by certain quarters to topple him as the MCA president, saying it was “meaningless for me to stay on if actions taken inside and outside the party, using the PKFZ issue to try to topple me, garner public support.”

He took a swipe at his deputy – Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek – saying the latter could take over from him, “the ministry and PKFZ issue as well”.

The strained relationship between the two leaders appears to have finally come out in the open.

Adding to the pressure is the decision of the party’s disciplinary committee to summon Dr Chua to appear before the panel on Aug 4 following a complaint filed by a division leader over his involvement in the DVD sex scandal.

The five-man committee is headed by former secretary-general and former health minister Datuk Ng Cheng Kiat.

The 68-year-old lawyer is known for calling a spade a spade. In the words of a writer, he “dispenses justice in two colours – black and white, with no grey areas in between”. He is known for being forthright and has no tolerance for social injustices.

Ng is known to be fiercely independent and has kept a low profile, refusing to take calls from the media on the issue.

But insiders have pointed out that Dr Chua’s case was among 40 outstanding cases that had been deferred because of the party polls last year, and that Dr Chua has been issued a notice and not a show-cause letter.

Dr Chua, who is now the BN coordinator in Pakatan Rakyat-held states, quit all his posts last year following the scandal. He made a strong comeback last October in the party polls by being elected deputy president.

The then disciplinary committee head was Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy, who had deferred the case. Chan, who was deputy president, has retired from politics.

Given the strong pressure exerted on Ong, all the three MCA ministers and the seven deputies took the unprecedented stand of signing a statement to show their support for Ong.

Let’s look at the issue from the ordinary Malaysian point of view. They are not interested in the politicking in the MCA. In fact, they loathe the energy-sapping moves by politicians for power.

All they want to know is the truth behind the massively expensive and controversial PKFZ issue.

The interest of individuals, no matter how powerful and how politically well-connected, should never be at the expense of Malaysians.

While we are struggling to pay off our house and car loans, we shouldn’t be protecting those looking at buying expensive private jet planes, yachts and building mansions.

Malaysians are only interested in knowing how public funds have been abused and whether personalities implicated would be allowed to walk away scot-free, or whether the whistle-blowers would be punished instead.

Ong is known to be a righteous and principled person. His persistence in following up on the PKFZ issue has earned him the wrath of the powerful but there should be no letting up.

Even within the ranks of the Barisan, there are some who have questioned the political cost of the issue as the DAP has taken advantage of it and Ong is squeezed in between.

But talk of transparency would remain mere lip service if we are not prepared to walk the talk the entire way.

Reports can be made public but if there is no follow-up action, it would only lead to more resentment and cynicism among the public.

The PKFZ issue should not be about protecting personalities but about protecting public interest and funds.

It is to the advantage of the Barisan, and not to its disadvantage, for the truth of the PKFZ to be pursued.

Ong deserves the people’s support to unveil the truth, nothing else but the truth.