More on PKFZ scandal
August 12, 2009
EXPOSED: ‘RM10 mil for MCA boss’
by Yong Kai Ping and Ng Ling Fong
Twenty-four hours after a police report was lodged against developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), the company’s top brass have made some startling revelations.
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KDSB chief executive officer Tiong King Sing – who is also the Barisan Nasional backbenchers club chairperson and Bintulu MP – alleged that he had ‘donated’ RM10 million to MCA president and Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat last year.
The money, he added, was for activities related to the MCA divisions.
Tiong’s number two in KDSB, Faizal Abdullah, also said that Ong had used the company’s private jet five times and ‘owed’ them US$40,000 for the services.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Tiong claimed that he had pumped in the millions after being requested to do so by Ong. The money was apparently paid in cash over three installments during meetings with the MCA president held in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur last year.
It is unclear whether the alleged payments were to fund Ong’s election campaign to be party president last October.
Yesterday, the Port Klang Authority (PKA) had filed a police report against KDSB, which has been accused of making inflated claims in relation to the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.
KDSB was the turnkey developer for the project, whose questionable figures were exposed by the MCA president.
Ong later claimed that he had received death threats for doing so.Despite numerous attempts, the MCA president could not be reached for comment over the allegations made by the KDSB bosses.
MCA Youth exco Lim Boon Aik was yesterday quoted in a Chinese newspaper as claiming that the ‘donation rumour’ was spread to defame MCA leaders.
He urged Tiong to clarify the matter.
‘Ong need the funds’
When contacted, Tiong was reluctant to comment on the matter and referred Malaysiakini to the MCA president.
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However, when pressed repeatedly, Tiong conceded that the “rumours were true”.
“Last year, Ong asked me to support him. As a new leader, he needed some funds for activities. We are politicians, we need funds to sponsor our activities.
“I was supposed to return the money to some other people. But in order to help each other, I let Ong use the money first,” he said.
“He (Ong) said that he wanted to give the money to all MCA divisions. But I have no idea if he did so. This is up to MCA members to ask him.
“If he didn’t give the money to the MCA divisions, then he is lying to me, (and) I want him to return the money,” added the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) treasurer.
Stating that since he regularly ‘donated millions’ to people, Tiong claimed that it was difficult for him to recall the dates when he gave the money to Ong.
Although there was no other MCA leader present at the meetings, the business tycoon-turned-politician said he had a friend who could be a witness.
“If Ong dares to say that he did not take the money, then ask him to come and see me, I will clearly tell him from where he took the money.
“He (Ong) had even promised to give me a receipt, but I have not received anything,” he added.
Tiong, however, remained adamant that the money was not a form of corruption or that it had anything to do with the PKFZ issue.
“If I had bribed you, why didn’t you (Ong) make a police report?” he asked.
‘Did not pay for fuel’
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As for using the jet, Faizal told Malaysiakini that the company did not charge the MCA president any charter fee but added that the latter should have at least paid for fuel and other expenses amounting to US$40,000.
Due to this, he said the company had turned down Ong’s request to use the jet again.
In a statement issued by Ong’s political secretary Simon Lim this afternoon, the latter said the ministry was not billed by the company.
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“For expenses involving the minister’s official travel, the relevant company must send the bill to the ministry to claim for payment,” he explained.
Lim said the reason the minister had opted to use a chartered airplane was due to his tight schedule and to prevent being late.
He added that Ong had also used other modes of travel, including no-frills airlines.
Lim also expressed disappointment that the media were publishing ‘unverified’ reports concerning this issue.
Ong responds in blog posting
In an immediate reaction, Ong described Tiong’s allegations as “smear tactics and character assassination”.
“The allegation by Tiong that I have taken the RM10 million ‘loan’ from him for use by the party’s divisions, are obviously made with several motives, including diverting attention away from the alleged irregularities exposed by the (PKFZ) task force,” he said in a blog posting.
“It could also be meant to create suspicion among my party comrades that I have pocketed funds meant for the divisions. The fact that he indicated that it was a loan could mean that he wants the option of taking me to court to further embarrass me.”
Ong said that the payments mentioned by Tiong was 2008 when he was vice-president until October.
“The need for me as vice-president to raise money for the divisions was a non-starter. Later, as president, we already have access to party funds and allocations. I doubt any reasonable person would part with RM10 million based on such a story.”
He echoed his political secretary’s contention that his office had yet to receive invoices for the private jet services.
“If the charter company has been more efficient, I am sure my office would have already made prompt payments. I am sure businesses do not issue invoices through the press.”
Ong said the latest allegations would not deter him to pursue the PKFZ issue.
“I also ask that I be judged based on my actions. I will consult my lawyers and seek legal advice on the defamatory allegations.”
Din,
I will not say anything much on this subject.
I will always remember my Prof. famous quote
This is what he said;
“To ask for the obvious, is the wisdom of a fool”
Orang Kedah kata, “dah terang tang, tang orang buta pun nampak”.
tean - August 12, 2009 at 9:25 pm
” I am sure businesses do not issue invoices through the press “. – ong tee keat.
Finally , the unraveling begins .
bambi - August 12, 2009 at 10:12 pm
MACC should investigate this allegation.
k c low - August 12, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Let them killing each other!
PeoplePower - August 12, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Only after the shit has hit the fan is Ong Gua Ta Kut talking about “we are waiting to be invoiced”. Sounds a familar tale doesn’t it?
Also, it’s not as though our BBC chairman Tiong would have kept such large sums of money under his bed and then given the 10$ million in $50 notes, would he? So, there would have to be a paper trail which MACC & Bank Negara should be able to, if they have the will power, to track down.
As to OGTK trumpeting about that MCA is to be lauded for its look in at PKFZ, this is a huge load of bull !!
Were it not for the blogger Capt. Yusof aka Ancient Mariner (who passed away recently), Nades of the Sun and Lim Kit Siang exposing the whole scandal, MCA and UMNO would have buried the PKFZ fraud under OSA/ISA and lumberered the Taxpayer with the bill. And they may still do it if we are not vigilant!
It is also astonishing that Najib and the MoF were conned last month into forcing PKA into releasing the progess payment of $660 million to KDSB when they claimed they were backed by sovereign bonds. This was an outright lie since KDSB’s bonds are private sector corporate bonds and have nothing to do with our Govt.!!
That’s how the CON goes on!!
dpp
We are all of 1 race, the Human Race.
donplaypuks - August 12, 2009 at 11:09 pm
What is the AG and the MACC doing about this? When Wee Choo Keong make an unsubstantiated allegation against his former DAP colleagues in his blog ranting, the AG, without waiting for Wee to make a police report immediately called for an investigation, which resulted in the death of Teo Beng Hock.
If such a miserable rat like Wee Choo Keong can moved the entire machinery of the law enforcement to act with haste, I think the allegation of a bigger fish like Tiong King Sing should be more credible?
vsp - August 12, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Hahaha… burp and fart at the same time!
No other things i can think of at the moment except that:
1. Ong’s tionged, and
2. Guess which one of these flurs will get bumped off first (extra-judi-cially, of course)?
Anyone knows the rate at which Bakun dam is filling up? Might need it as ‘circumstantial’ evidence soon.
Menyalak-er - August 12, 2009 at 11:54 pm
These guys are hitting the drums with chop sticks! Would someone hand them some type of wu-shu apparatus?
Danildaud - August 13, 2009 at 1:51 am
These people are like ducks. Ever notice the ducks with its beak in the water sucking up the muck, eating and shitting from the rear at the same time.
Shrek - August 13, 2009 at 2:03 am
“Ever notice the ducks with its beak in the water sucking up the muck, eating and shitting from the rear at the same time.” Shrek
Under Mahathir it was known as ‘cekap, bersih dan amanah’.
Mr Bean - August 13, 2009 at 2:13 am
mr. bean ,
yea .. right.
bambi - August 13, 2009 at 5:01 am
Tean,
I think your professor stole the lyrics of my favorite song of the ‘60s – one by Tome Jones
“To live for today and to love for tomorrow is the wisdom of a fool”
Mr Bean - August 13, 2009 at 8:40 am
Without the undying devotion to principles of equality, justice for all, Pakatan is nothing.
Mr Bean - August 13, 2009 at 8:46 am
All is not so nice in the houses of MCA, KDSB, MACC, AG, IGP, PDRM BN,,,woooo somany houses ah….puuuu niamah….sink…..
ICE - August 13, 2009 at 10:35 am
SUE him otk. Lets go to court. Rule of law and all that SH’T. The SH’T still oozing out of malaysia for mahathir to smell. He will rue his long life.
joehancl - August 13, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Is this coming to us. ” Every Central Committee Secretary, every member or candidate member of the Politburo is assigned an officer who organizes his life. Even when when I was just a candidate member of the Porlitburo, my domestic staff consisted of three ccoks, three waiteress, a housemaid and a gradener with his own team of assistant gardeners.
Do you want a new suit?At the appointed time comes a knock on the door and in walks the tailor who takes your measurement and returns the next day for a fitting.Do you need a present for your wife? No problem. You are brought a catalogue: all you have to do is choose.
The higher you climb, the more comforts surround you.If you have climbed all the way, then it is full communism.From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. And so it was for those at the top of the party pyrqmid.Their abilities, alas , are not outstanding. But their needs! Their needs are so great that so far it has only been possible to creat real communism for a couple of dozen of people.” Boris Yeltsin Against the Grain.
Thumb L:ogic - August 13, 2009 at 9:28 pm
At this moment in time we are witnesses to accusations after accusations after accusations among the players in the PKFZ scandal. And remember, all this avalanche of trade-offs started simply because of the “expose” by Price Cooper Waterhouse? No matter what may be said or done in the course of dispute to this scandal there are two important elements which must be taken into consideration. At all times!
Number ONE is the fact that a minister (Semananjung Foochow) signed on the LAST DAY OF HIS MINISTERIAL TENURE the crucial instruments needed to set-up this PKFZ. Of course we can see a Sarawak Foochow “turn the key”. Number TWO is of course the fact that ARAB BILLIONAIRES from the oil-rich Gulf were initially attracted to this PKFZ. Then suddenly out of the blue they dropped a bombshell! They said they were pulling out! Yes, pulling-out. Totally. Without giving any reason. Up to today, no one knows why they made a hasty retreat.
rasputin - August 27, 2009 at 8:53 pm