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As I have said earlier, the Port Klang Authority (PKA) which commissioned PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct a thorough investigations into PKFZ, will be given free hand to release the report without intervention from the Ministry of Transport. That was my commitment as early as the beginning of the investigations by PwC.
Since the first quarter of this year, efforts have been taken by the PKA to seek the de-classification of certain documents, in particular letters that they want to include in the report. Once you want to release the report, some of the classified correspondence needs to be declassified. The onus was on the Port Authority concerned -not my Ministry. PKA did follow up and follow through
Several weeks ago, I responded to a Chinese daily that this report would ultimately be released by the PKA, not MOT. The reason being since PKA is the authority which commissioned the report, it's only right for us to go back to PKA. But along the line, there is one business weekly which deliberately portrayed me as the stumbling block to the release of such a report. If at all this is tantamount to libel, then you have to bear the full brunt of the law of the land. Common sense should prevail.
Since I directed PKA to conduct their own investigations, before they were directed to commission PwC, it would be laughable, meaningless and absurd if the same person were to tell them not to release the report. We conducted the investigations. We want to give the PKFZ issue a fresh start while identifying the areas of concerns or the problems.
In fact, I am now also waiting for PKA to release the report. Because I contemplate to submit the report to both the MACC and the Public Accounts Committee once the report is released. I walk the talk. What I mentioned earlier, I mean it and I am going to do it. But it's grossly unfair for some snipers, including certain individuals from certain media, by pulling wool over the eyes of the public by ignoring the fact that declassification has to be sought before we release the report.
Today you can say that the costs has escalated to RM8 billion, but I am also interested to know how you derived at the figure. Tomorrow you can tell me it's RM10 billion. As far as I am concerned, as Minister of Transport, I don't run the PKA myself. I am overseeing the conduct of business of PKA as the regulator. When they formed the company, they solicited soft loans from MOF. Then they are responsible for the Treasury. Don't just sit back and point accusing fingers without doing sufficient homework.
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Both Minister's statement and The EDGE's news made the public confused.
So now YB Ong claims that the statement in THE EDGE is a wrongful report that will mislead the public?
If this is true, I suggest the Minister accuse the publisher so that the public would eventually know that which statement is the correct one.
Bring the case to the court and disclose all the reports to show that the ministry is innocent and "clean".
I wonder why the ministry do not dare to fight for the truth.
空穴来风，未必无因