I have faxed to Liong Sik my press statement yesterday announcing the press conference in Parliament tomorrow , and inviting him to attend as well as asking him to ensure that his son, Ling Hee Leong, attend the press conference to conduct a "Tell-All" session to establish without any shadow of doubt that he had acquired his billion-ringgit corporate position completely on his own merits and hard work without any improper political or Ministerial influence on the part of Liong Sik.
I sought the co-operation of Liong Sik to give meaning to the all-out war against corruption which have been launched by the Acting Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with the approval of the Prime Minister, as well as to give substance to the injunction by Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that government leaders must not only be clean, but must be seen to be clean.
I am calling this press conference in Parliament tomorrow because of Hee Leong�s most commendable open-minded attitude with regard to my ACA report asking the ACA to conduct full investigations as to how Ling Hee Leong could at the age of 27 and without any track record embark on corporate acquisitions exceeding RM1.2 billion in a matter of three months and whether there had been improper use and influence of his father�s political and Ministerial position.
Hee Leong not only welcomed the ACA investigations, he also openly invited the reporters to ask whatever questions they want, declaring that he had acquired his present corporate position completely on his own merits and hard work, without any improper political influence of his father.
I had already said that if Hee Leong could satisfactorily convince me tomorrow that he had through sheer hard work acquired the RM1.2 billion in a matter of three months at the age of 27 and completely without any track record, and that there had been no improper political or Ministerial influence involving his father, I would formally withdraw the ACA report.
I would go even one step further and would promote Hee Leong as a "national treasure" for he deserved to be emulated as a corporate "boy wonder" not only for Malaysia but even in the global marketplace!
The Minister for Entrepreneur Development, Datuk Mustapha Mohamed should set up a special department to promote more Ling Hee Leongs in Malaysia so that we have more "corporate wonder boys" who could at the age of 27, without any track record, and solely through hard work, embark on billion-ringgit corporate acquisitions in a matter of three months.
Datuk Mustapha is also invited to the press conference in Parliament tomorrow or to send representatives.
I must congratulate the ACA for its serious and efficient investigations into the ACA report on Ling Hee Leong.
According to a press report, the ACA has checked with the Registrar of Companies which revealed that Hee Leong had interests in 23 companies.
I am sure Hee Leong could make public tomorrow all his interests in all these 23 companies, as well as other companies, and the full extent of these interests.
One question which the press have repeatedly asked me is who is the next Barisan Nasional leader against whom I would be lodging an ACA report.
Let me make it very clear that I have no intention to lodge any ACA report against any Barisan Nasional leader.
In fact, I had no intention whatsoever to lodge any ACA report with regard to Ling Hee Leong�s RM1.2 billion corporate wealth in a matter of three months, which I was forced to do as an act of self-defence in response to the baseless allegations and insinuations made by Liong Sik against me for financial impropriety with regard to the collection during the Teluk Intan by-election to pay the RM29,960 legal costs to Liong Sik - because I know I would be accused of being very personal.
I feel sad that despite my warning to Liong Sik that "those who stay in glass houses should not throw stones", the Transport Minister continued to recklessly make insinuations, asserting who was to know whether DAP had raised not just RM30,000 but RM3 million from the people of Teluk Intan, with the clear implication that I had squirrelled away the balance of the money.
This has left me with no option to defend myself as to invite Liong Sik to the ACA, for him to lodge an ACA report against me and for me to lodge an ACA report asking for full investigations about Ling Hee Leong�s RM1.2 billion corporate wealth.
I still welcome Liong Sik to lodge an ACA report so that ACA could initiate investigations whether the DAP had collected RM3 million from the voters of Teluk Intan during the by-election and that I had pocketted the balance of the money apart from the RM29,960 legal costs meant for Liong Sik.
(18/6/97)