Ong ignores Tiong’s challenge to reveal assets
Written by Chan Kok Leong, The Edge
The question of declaring his assets does not arise as the challenger's "credibility is also in question", according to MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.
Ong, who has been trading barbs with Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, said the Bintulu member of parliament can "say whatever he wants".
"The important thing is that truth and justice will prevail," said the transport minister after a Wanita MCA function in town today.
Ong, who is alleged to have taken a RM10 million donation for MCA from Tiong, poured scorn on the challenge, noting that it came from "someone whose credibility is questionable".
The MCA president was responding to a question on whether he would meet Tiong's dare to reveal his bank assets.
Tiong, who is the CEO of Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), had challenged Ong last Friday to declare his assets to prove that he did not accept the donation.
On another front, KDSB, which is alleged to have overbilled the Port Klang Authority (PKA), has also filed suits against Ong and the PKA for revealing the contents of a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit report on the PKFZ project.
Ong in turn has threatened to sue Tiong for the allegations and vowed to expose any wrongdoings by his company in the PKFZ affair.
Meanwhile, it was reported by Chinese newspaper Guangming Daily today that MCA treasurer-general Tan Sri Tee Hock Sing will give his statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on a list of "donations" MCA has obtained.
When asked on this, Ong confirmed that the party had been informed last week and Tee will be meeting the MACC today.
The MCA chief, however, did not confirm if the MACC will investigate the alleged RM10 million donation from Tiong.
In a related development, Ong dispelled suggestions that his party's stand on the matter stemmed from him.
Commenting on his deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's statement that the party should not be dragged into Ong's "personal feud", the transport minister said that the MCA central committee had agreed to back him.
"I want to put the record straight. The MCA central committee deliberated at length about Tiong's allegations and even made several amendments to the statement before unanimously deciding to back me," said Ong.
"The discussions involved the deputy president too. I did not make the statement on my own," said Ong.
Chua, who has been at odds with his president since last October, blasted the decision last week and said that the party should not involve itself in the spat between Ong and Tiong.
