Extracted from The Sun
Thu, 10 Sep 2009
Embattled MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat takes time off party politics and the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) probe to tell R. Nadeswaran and Terence Fernandez that the two issues are indeed related.
Ong: Well, I see our two investigative journalists are here!
theSun: This is the longest story we have been pursuing … six years.
Ong: Well, at the end of the day, we are interested in the ending. How this is going to culminate.
That is very important.
theSun: That depends on all those concerned in seeing that justice is done.
theSun: There are other abuses not related to the free zone that are being uncovered. Shouldn’t the task force be looking into other abuses not related to PKFZ?
Ong: You must understand that the task force is focusing on only the 20 over issues regarding the free zone. I am not quite sure if the other abuses are included in its investigations.
theSun: Because you have uncovered so many issues on the conduct of the general manager (Datin Paduka O.C. Phang) with regards to PKFZ, doesn’t it warrant an internal inquiry at least on the other affairs of PKA (Port Klang Authority)? The task force reports state that she refused to heed the advice of other officials. She could have taken such an attitude to other matters.
Ong: I get what you mean but we need to stay focused. I understand your concerns that certain dimensions of the investigation may be overlooked or neglected or some of these jokers may go scot-free. But the crux of the matter is that we have come so far and we want to see justice done. This is the last lap and the last lap is normally the most challenging part.
theSun: Do you support the suggestion that the previous board of directors must be held responsible and be prosecuted for failing in their responsibilities?
Ong:They have their jurisdiction of responsibilities but I am not certain of the extent in which they were involved in. Were they properly informed of each and every decision? If not, what remedial solutions did they attempt to take? I have no know-ledge of this, but accountability must be there.
I agree. Whether they should be charged, I cannot answer that as I don’t know to what extent is their involvement.
theSun:What about the past chairmen? At the end of the day they are guardians of PKA and should be held accountable for allowing this to go so far.
Ong:So far, how much have they (the past chairmen) been informed? Look at (Datuk Yap) Pian Hon for instance. He had 1,001 reasons to protest, 1,001 grouses to air. In all fairness, he was brushed aside probably because she thought that he did not have the intellectual capacity to grasp the issues.
theSun:That’s why we need people who know what’s going on. (Present chairman) Datuk Lee Hwa Beng is an accountant by training, so he will know when the numbers don’t add up. Members of the (internal audit) directors include a forklift driver with minimal education. What does he know about port operations? They just come to collect their allowance. Enough of all these political appointees!
Ong:We hope this episode will have a positive ending but what is even more challenging is the subsequent part. We must get people who at least know something about the subject matter. You might be a political appointee, but at least be well-versed with the subject matter.
theSun:How do we reconcile what you intend to do for the restructuring of PKA and the political realties?
Ong:We need to set new rules and that is going to be very unpopular but after all, I have been unpopular.
theSun:How we handle PKFZ must be the yardstick for future probes. So it is important to see this to the very end.
Ong:You mean use the PKFZ investigations as a template for future probes involving misuse of public funds? Yes! I explained in no uncertain terms to my grassroots behind closed doors why I must take the risk and what gains do I get. Nothing! In fact CSL (sacked MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek) said I want to play hero. What hero? As an ethnic Chinese minister, as MCA president can I go further to a higher rank?
But I said that PKFZ should be made a turning point if we really want to bring in a new breed of political culture – of accountability and transparency. We don’t just talk, we must walk the talk and this is a classic example, a real acid test to our commitment to accountability and transparency.
theSun:You have the unenviable task of exposing two past MCA leaders, your predecessors in the ministry (Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy). It must have been really hard for you.
Ong:My conscience is clear. When I made the decision to commission PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the job, I told them that this must be an entirely independent probe. At the end of the day, the PwC Panel informed me of the outcome. Throughout the process I never, ever tried to influence them in one way or another. Even the contents of the findings, I only came to know about it when the report was ready and whether it was going to implicate this or that personality.
Whether from MCA or not from MCA, this never crossed my mind. That’s why I say my conscience is clear because after all, I commissioned the comprehensive audit not as a witch hunt or that I might be harbouring some personal agenda. What personal agenda? I hold firm to what I believe in but of course I had to pay a price for it ... the smears, threats, below the belt blows. Like today (Sept 7) in the Chinese papers, CSL mentioned that by brewing up PKFZ, it will blow up MCA and Barisan Nasional.
They say so many things about me. The latest is that I have gone cuckoo. There have been SMS going around using my number saying I scold people and call them names. I don’t know how it’s done but they are using my name.
theSun:So in the challenge to your presidency, PKFZ is the central issue and there are external forces involved in trying to topple you?
Ong:When I first decided to commission PwC for the comprehensive audit last October, hardly 10 days into my presidency, I did not correlate PKFZ with my political career in MCA. It was seemingly unrelated. But little did I expect this to have sparked off the kind of collaboration between CSL … the CSL factor and KDSB (turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd) ... (KDSB CEO Datuk Seri) Tiong (King Sing); as I had mentioned in July, as well as some of Ling’s lawyers. This is something that I had never imagined.
theSun:Maybe you have broken the unwritten rule that you don’t ‘kacau’ your predecessors.
Ong:I don’t know because in politics there are a lot of unwritten rules. When I do certain things, what comes to mind is whether this will serve the public interest. I prioritise the public interest. That’s why I say my conscience is clear. I can tell you very candidly that when certain detractors of mine say I want to play hero, I have everything to lose if this issue is mishandled. It is a ticking time bomb and how do I defuse it? If I do it wrongly, I’ll be blown up.
theSun:You could have taken the easy way out by stalling until it becomes someone else’s problem. But you decided to take the bull by its horns.
Ong:That’s right. I came in after this entire project was contractually concluded. Immediately after Hwa Beng lodged the police report based on the findings of the task force, that point of time we were talking about RM500 million to RM1 billion in fraudulent claims. Immediately after that, Tiong brought up the story that I took RM10 million from him. In the first place, at the point of time, if a person is to offer any political bribery, he would have expected something in return. But at that material time, what could I have given him as the project was completed and whatever governmental clearance was secured?
Despite the various challenges we had to navigate through we have yet to call it quits. Even after the completion of the report we had taken painstaking efforts to declassify the documents. It took us awhile – four months. And those who couldn’t understand us hurled allegations but we couldn’t tell them. I don’t believe in behaving like a cry baby but this is what we had to go through.
theSun:You had instructed for copies of the PwC report to be placed on the tables of all MPs in Parliament. That was not done. Why?
Ong:MPs know the rules. Any submission of any literature from the various agencies must be done through the Parliament Secretariat. Meaning we can’t distribute as and when we like. We approached the secretariat but later on I was made to understand that the speaker made the ruling that he is only prepared to release the report in totality with the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) report. For whatever reasons, I wouldn’t know.
I made an appointment to see him at the height of the controversy and I was told that the PAC hearing is still in progress. Of course I understand (DAP stalwart Lim) Kit Siang and his boys made very serious allegations against me, distorting facts which were grossly unfair, but I managed to debunk his biased allegations.
Think about it, why must I suppress it? After all, on May 28 when we decided to release the report after getting the cabinet’s approval, we made it available to the public the next morning. So what’s there for us to hide? But you must understand where the release of documents is concerned; we must abide by the rules.
But to dramatise it by saying I hid the copies in an underground strong room; that was mere drama and fabricated lies. That was absurd!
theSun:Throughout the course of your handling of the PKFZ issue, did you make errors in judgment in terms of misplacing your trust in certain individuals that you had handpicked?
Ong:It is not absolutely true to say that I handpicked anybody. Certain appointments I have the right to make recommendations but again, whatever recommendations I make have to be scrutinised by higher authorities.
We must admit the very fact that in life, individuals with certain aptitudes may be recommended for certain jobs because of their strengths and aptitude; but one thing for sure we cannot stop any individual from being influenced by various temptations. Even our own kids I don’t think we can do much to contain them or insulate them from being influenced by temptation. Over the years I have seen many such examples but more so in endeavours, especially mammoth projects where the stakes get higher and higher. Somehow or rather people’s pattern of behaviour to a large extent are influenced or moulded by so many variables, including the temptations of money.
theSun:So you are a lot more cautious in allowing people into your inner circle?
Ong:People can claim what they like but the thing is that I know what I am doing. I need people to be truthful. As a friend you can come to my house but that doesn’t mean I am giving you a carte blanche to do what you like or use my name. There is an unwritten rule of how you treat a friend.
theSun:We are going to tread very carefully here because there are two law suits pending but the allegations against you could stem from people who claim to represent you or from your inner circle.
Ong:I have come across all sorts of fabricated lies, self-proclaimed inner circles, self-proclaimed confidants. They know that my life and family life is very simple. They know that I don’t need to have so many levels of inner circles and confidants, like an empire. If you talk about inner circle, then what about my aides? Are they in my inner circle?
theSun:What are these road shows you have embarked on about?
Ong:I have to do it behind closed doors simply because I for one don’t believe in washing dirty linen in public. Also these are untrue stories and members may be influenced by the various lies. So I think it is good to share with them the real scenario they are in now and the real challenges. For me this is part of information sharing and political education. Not just to tell them my side of the story. To me I believe in imparting to them the facts, just like PKFZ. Until today, there are certain quarters harping on their school of thought that this is just an MOT affair, a government affair and even an Ong Tee Keat affair, nothing to do with the party. I must say that is absolutely bull and which is why I need to do the road show.
theSun:Since you have set this going, is this a new culture you are setting for the party?
Ong:That is what I want to do. That is exactly what I want to do! To me this is not just a battle in the face of the EGM. It is not just that. I want them to understand that I mean business and I tried so hard to bring in a new political culture.
theSun:Would you accept the challenge of an open debate with CSL?
Ong:I think even before this, there was an invitation for an open debate with CJM (former vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Jui Meng). I must tell you that I for one know that if I were to follow my own wish I can take on anybody. But I must also take into consideration that what is said in the open, might be used as ammunition against the party. And that explains why I declined the offer for an open debate last year from CJM. People were surprised as to why I declined as my character is that I always take on such challenges. I don’t want to wash dirty linen in public and I have been consistent in my statements and principles.
hits to-date.