PKFZ: What big discovery - Tee Keat ticks off 'Umno-nised' RPK

The “Great Discovery” purportedly exposed by Raja Petra Kamaruddin in Malaysia Today is no secret at all in the entire episode of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) probe.

The letter signed by me as the Transport Minister on 10-5-2008 was in fact required by the then Finance Minister alongside the submission of “Laporan Penilaian Kos Projek Pembangunan PKFZ” that was prepared by the Port Klang Authority (PKA) Board under the chairmanship of Dato’ Chor Chee Heung (the present Minister of Housing & Local Government).

The decision was made on 5-2-2008 before I joined the Cabinet in mid March 2008. I was duty-bound to submit the PKA board’s decision and acceptance of the price quotation from Kuala Dimensi (the turnkey contractor) as PriceWater -house Coopers had yet been commissioned then to conduct the audit and position review of the PKFZ debacle.

In fact, no contractor should ever be faulted simply due to its price quotation but non-compliance of specifications should.

Selective memory

What RPK might have conveniently omitted or simply played ignorant was this Evaluation Report had in fact been instrumental in triggering my contemplation to conduct an independent probe later in August 2008. Of course, at my hindsight, the move to probe had indeed touched on the raw nerves of many interested parties.

Those in the establishment might have their reasons for forbidding peers in the glasshouse from hurling stones. However, the truth remains that justice should always be upheld regardless of where you are, either within or outside the “glasshouse”.

Both Hwa Beng and I don’t need to play saint to do so as was portrayed by RPK whom I must congratulate for having shared the establishment’s “glasshouse” belief and sentiment ultimately.

- Ong Tee Keat is the Pandan MP and former president of the MCA