DAP to hold two forums over MCA's 'RM1bil scandal' claim

The DAP will be holding two separate forums on MCA’s claim that the Selangor government was involved in a RM1 billion scandal through the Talam Corporation Bhd debt recovery exercise. 

According to Selangor DAP treasurer Hannah Yeoh, the forums are to allow MCA deputy minister Chua Tee Yong (left) to explain his claims to the public at first hand. 

“This is to ensure that the audience is not misled by (DAP publicity chief) Tony Pua as accused by Chua. If requested we will be more than happy to offer a neutral moderator from The Star to ensure that everyone gets a fair opportunity to present their views,” she told reporters today. 

The first forum will be on July 24 at 7.30pm at the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall, and will be held in the Chinese language. Also to speak at the forum will be Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok and Pua. 

The second forum, to be held in Bahasa Malaysia and English, will be at the mutipurpose hall at Jalan SS15/4 on July 25 with Yeoh, Pua and PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli speaking.

Commenting on Chua’s recent assertions that he (Pua) failed to read the Permodalan Selangor Nasional Bhd balance sheet properly and did not know how to calculate, Pua said he would love for Chua to attend the forum to “educate” him. 

“I seriously would appreciate if he can turn up at this forum, so I can pay tuition fees so he can teach me how to count and teach me the elements of accountancy. I appreciate pointers from him on how to read accounts,” he said tongue-in-cheek. 

‘Reading wrong line doesn’t negate argument’

Pua, who earlier claimed Chua had failed basic arithmetic to come up with the RM1 bil figure, admitted that he did read the wrong line of PNSB’s balance sheet to make his claim. 

But he asserted that this does not negate his argument that PNSB was in better shape under the Pakatan Rakyat government’s rule. 

He added that PNSB’s purchase of part of the land which Talam disposed to Menteri Besar Incorporated as part of the debt settlement also did not affect PNSB’s financial standing. 

“Where is it in the PSNB books that it shows that we have made PNSB suffer?... He said I neglected to account for liabilities but I quoted net tangible assets which is assets minus liabilities and there was a 17.7 percent increase.”

He added that PNSB’s cash assets were also higher compared to before Pakatan took over, and it is no longer in the red. 

“PNSB had a profit of RM28.4 million in 2011. The land transaction was done in 2010, which means the land transactions did not affect the financials of PNSB but added to its profitability.”