Last of the portmen

By Terence Fernandez, The Sun

IF I am accused of lobbying in today’s column, then I am guilty as charged – only because as a taxpayer, I have a right to demand the best.

Following the expose of the shenanigans of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, we were promised an overhaul of the leadership of the Port Klang Authority (PKA).

Several checks and balances were instituted such as the introduction of a Whistleblowers’ Policy, external auditors to go through the books and the appointment of independent directors including people who know about port operations.

These were attempts to also whittle down political appointees who know nothing other than raising their hands and demanding to know when the next junket to Europe was going to be.

If the PKA was to turn itself around into a regulatory body, and call the bluff of terminal operators, shippers and connected individuals who are holding the port industry to ransom, then it needed people with the experience and know-how to be a step ahead of the pack.

What it did not need was another political yes-man. Hence in came Datuk M. Rajasingam, a respected portman for 33 years, who earned the respect and trust of none other than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who as prime minister endorsed his appointment as general manager of the PKA.

It was a good call by Mahathir as Rajasingam ran a tight ship, even publicly dressing down one minister for giving instructions that were beyond the latter’s scope of authority.

Under Rajasingam, the PKA was what it should be today – a regulatory body, not another entity trying to do business and cut deals.

And when he retired 13 years ago, the PKA was a cash cow with about half a billion ringgit in its coffers. Of course that money has since depleted and O.C. Phang who succeeded him is waiting for her day in court to answer for her alleged actions that contributed to the RM12.5 billion PKFZ fiasco.

When in 2008, Rajasingam was appointed independent director of the PKA many felt that at least with him on the board, we have one man who will be able to sift through the bullshit and save the PKA from making more costly mistakes.

He was also the compass for the PKA leadership who were mostly political appointees with no clue which side of the ship was “port” and which side was “starboard”.

Apart from advising them on the business of regulating shipping lines, terminal operators and freight forwarders, Rajasingam was also hell-bent on doing the right thing.

He was among the minority who insisted that predecessors on the board under whose watch the PKFZ fiasco took place, be held accountable.

It would not be wrong to say that Rajasingam was unpopular with many individuals, who for political and fiscal reasons wanted to maintain the status quo. Hence, to many in the know, it was only a matter of time that his term would not be renewed.

As taxpayers, I think we all have a say on who should be sitting on the board of government agencies – especially one like the PKA which has lost the public’s confidence following the PKFZ fiasco. We were assured that the right people would be appointed to look after our interests.

The ouster of Rajasingam seems like we were only paid lip service and that his removal is pivotal for PKA to return to its bad old days. Perhaps he will be replaced by another portman; after all he is not the first ex-port employee to sit on the board. A former forklift driver used to be a director of PKA too.

However, whoever they choose, the consensus is that we will be settling for second best. After all, Rajasingam’s knowhow is often sought by many countries and international organisations, the World Bank being one.

Here we are clamoring for the best brains, best skilled and more importantly people who are imbued with a sense of national service to contribute to the country and we drop them like a hot potato the first chance we get.

What do they fear, one wonders, if all that needs to be done is to do the right thing and bring the guilty to book?

Taxpayers have a right to demand that agencies which use their money have principled people who know their stuff to act as watchdogs.

Rajasingam’s term ended on Nov 4. Till now, the Transport Ministry has been silent on his reappointment, although all fingers point to the exit for the last port-man of the PKA.