No one’s above law, says Tee Keat
July 29, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said today the rule of law must be upheld, even as his party senior, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik was marched into the dock for his role in the multi-billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
“Certainly we need to uphold the rule of law. Nobody should be above the law,” Ong responded immediately to reporters here after learning Dr Ling had just been charged.
“I’m not interested in specific personalities,” he said, adding that he prayed the interest of the general public, especially taxpayers, would be protected.
Dr Ling led the MCA for 17 years, from 1986 to 2003, and is still regarded as a powerhouse in the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Chinese party.
While Dr Ling pleaded not guilty, the charge will likely jeopardize the MCA’s current efforts to garner the confidence and support from the ethnic Chinese community.
The PKFZ project was mooted during Dr Ling’s term as Transport Minister and the cost of the project, initially estimated at fewer than RM2 billion, more than doubled to RM4.6 billion by 2007.
The cost are reckoned to balloon further to as much as RM12.5 billion, due to interest costs from deferred payments if the trans-shipment hub fails to perform.
Ong acknowledged as much even as he tried to defend his party against its detractors, likely whooping in delight at the latest prosecution development.
“It’s unfair to co-relate an individual’s deed with partisan deeds,” said Ong, after speaking at the 15th Malaysian Law Conference here this afternoon.
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MCA in shock over Dr Ling’s PKFZ charge
By Clara Chooi July 29, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 – Today’s prosecution of Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik over his role in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, has sent shockwaves through the MCA, leaving party leaders stuttering in response.
MCA’s usually calm and collected president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek himself appeared shaken by the news and admitted that it was unexpected.
“MCA leaders are shocked by this,” he told reporters who surrounded him for a response after he opened the Perak MCA Youth convention at the state liaison body’s headquarters in Ipoh.
He added, however, that he was confident that Dr Ling, 66, who had served as the party’s president from 1986 to 2003, would be given a fair trial.
When contacted later in the evening, MCA secretary-general and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha fell silent for several moments when informed of the news.
When asked if he was surprised, Kong said: “Of course I am. Why do you only call me when there is bad news?”
He added that he was “concerned” about Dr Ling’s prosecution, especially since the latter was a prominent figure in the MCA.
Dr Ling was slapped with charges under Section 418 and alternatively, under Section 417 of the Penal Code, for an offence concerning land valuation.
Section 418 concerns “cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may be thereby caused to a person whose interest the offender is bound to protect” and Section 417 concerns the punishment for cheating.
If convicted under Section 418, Dr Ling faces a maximum jail term of seven years, or a fine, or both, and if convicted under Section 417, he faces a lesser sentence of five years jail, or fine or both.
He claimed trial to the charges and the case has been fixed for mention on September 3.
Dr Ling, believed to be the first Tun in the country to face such prosecution, is the most influential personality to date to be brought to book over the controversial PKFZ scandal.
When contacted, many MCA leaders chose to keep mum over the issue, pleading for more time to study the charges before issuing any comment.
MCA vice-president Datuk Donald Lim told The Malaysian Insider that the matter should only be addressed by the president.
“I would rather not comment. I just heard about it too,” he said.
A fellow vice-president Gan Ping Sieu also declined comment but chose instead to seek information from The Malaysian Insider over the details of the charges against Dr Ling.
“What did they involve? What were the specific charges,” he asked, before saying that he would need more time before speaking on it.
Another vice-president Datuk Chor Chee Heung told The Malaysian Insider that careless comments on such a shocking piece of news should not be made.
“I barely just heard about it myself. I do not know the details, so it would be unfair to make any comment for now. It is a big issue,” he pointed out.
Other MCA leaders could not be reached via the telephone.
On micro-blogging site Twitter, MCA Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong, who is usually active, was uncharacteristically quiet. His last post was at about 4pm, on an unrelated matter.
MCA presidential council member Chua Tee Yong tweeted that the PKFZ case needed transparency if the government wanted to revive the people’s trust in them.
“Give a chance 2 clear d air instd of guessg and hypthosg,” he said in his tweet.
The PKFZ project, Malaysia’s biggest port investment, was initially kickstarted in the early 2000 with a budget of RM1.8 billion.
The amount ballooned, however, allegedly due to mismanagement and corruption, and is estimated to likely cost a whopping RM12.5 billion now, including interest charges.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mca-in-shock-over-dr-lings-pkfz-charge
