‘Ask authorities why different treatment between PAC reports?’

Former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik today said the authorities should be asked over their different treatments with regard to the PAC reports on Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) and 1MDB.

“You must ask them why do they behave so differently. Don't ask me, I’m not behaving differently,” he said simply, to a question.

The former MCA president was charged in 2010 with three counts of cheating the government. He was acquitted in 2013.

He was charged without him being named in the PAC report on the Port Klang Free Zone as he was the minister in charge.

Though authorities were seen by some to be less dilligent in their response to the PAC report on 1MDB which also did not name but contained references to the minister in charge.

Pointing out how the PKFZ case was over, he admitted that he was being cautious due to being in the middle of a different court case - Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s defamation suit against him.

“The judge (presiding the suit) just changed, I think I better not say too much. I was told by my lawyers that the case is strong, don’t jeopardise it by saying too much,” he said in a press conference at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (Utar) Sungai Long campus today.

Najib had filed the suit against Ling in October last year following a news report that quoted him urging Najib’s resignation over allegations of funds entering into the prime minister’s personal bank accounts.

To another question today pointing out his bad blood with Najib, Ling however said, albeit sarcastically, that his relationship with the premier was in fact good.

“I think it’s good; he does something wrong, I tell him to step down.

“I tell him he’s not fit to be prime minister...That's good advice isn’t it?”

He is therefore not worried whether the premier will support Utar, of which he is chairperson, or otherwise.

“Whenever you are doing anything good, you don’t have to worry, the money will come.

“People will want to help something that’s good, so you don’t have to worry about who your friends are, as long as you are doing something good, money will come and people will help,” he said.

Ling also responded to some who had accused him of attacking Najib due to his unhappiness over being charged for the PKFZ case.

“Do they have any proof on that, have they demonstrated any proof?

“Otherwise, (it’s) very dangerous accusing people of having bad intentions, when there could be none,” he said.

Former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek had claimed that his predecessor had an axe to grind with Najib as he ‘felt sore’ after being charged. -Mkini