Pua accuses Liow of sidestepping issue of KLIA2 audit

Tony Pua accuses Transport Minister of refusing to give the go-ahead for an Auditor-General’s audit because he wants to protect certain parties.

PETALING JAYA: DAP National Publicity Secretary Tony Pua is refusing to let up on pushing for a full Auditor-General’s audit of the RM4 billion KLIA2, accusing Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai of refusing to give the go-ahead.

Saying the Public Accounts Committee had already pointed out “many elements of gross mismanagement” at KLIA2, Pua added, “However, the Government must provide the necessary instruction to the Auditor-General”, something Liow has continued to “sidestep”.

He said, “Despite giving the excuse for the ‘independent audit committee’ being restricted in scope, the Minister has once again sidestepped the first and key recommendation from the PAC – that is to allow the Auditor-General to audit MAHB over the scandal.”

The MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, also accused Liow of trying to protect certain parties involved in KLIA2, which he described as a “RM4 billion scandal”.

Pua said this in regard to Liow’s latest statement that PAC had “misunderstood” the setting up of the “independent audit committee” that would study only the sinking surfaces of the KLIA2 airport.

According to Pua, Liow claimed this committee was in the process of being set up even before the PAC report was released. Liow further explained that Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) had given their full cooperation to PAC because it “involves the public’s interest”.

Among the issues Pua wants an audit for include the sinking surfaces at KLIA2, the inflated RM4 billion budget, the repeated extended deadlines, the “costly and ill-suited” location of the airport as well as the choice of a “satellite-type terminal instead of a finger pier terminal as proposed by the airport consultants.”