Media Conference Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Monday, 29^th June 2009: 

Ong Tee Keat has won the right to get into Guinness Book of Records twice, the second time for being the first MCA President in 60 years to be on the run, from Parliament and outside, on a national scandal

My three questions (No.91 to No. 93) on the 31st day in the current series) to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal today are:

Question No. 1 - In response to my challenge to him yesterday to five public debates on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, Malacca and Johore Baru, where he could be assisted by the two former Transport Ministers, Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik and Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy as well as MCA leaders who had served as Port Klang Authority (PKA) Chairman, Tan Sri Ting Chew Peh, Datuk Yap Pian Hon and Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung, Ong responded that I was not qualified to debate with him.

What arrogance and “high-and-mighty” attitude after becoming a “small Minister”! What would he not do if he becomes a slightly “bigger” Minister?

A day after the release of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report on the PKFZ scandal on May 28, 2009 the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak publicly directed Ong to reply to all questions about the PKFZ scandal. Has Ong forgotten the Prime Minister’s public directive, and if not, is he avoiding the 90 questions I have asked in the past 30 “three questions a day” as well as afraid of a public debate on the PKFZ scandal?

Ong has accused me of telling endless lies about the PKFZ scandal. If so, isn’t a five-venue public debate the best place to publicly nail all the lies I have been telling about the PKFZ scandal, instead of running away from such a debate challenge?

In fact, Ong should counter-challenge me to a 12-venue public debate on the PKFZ scandal to fully exploit the opportunity to prove to all and sundry the alleged litany of lies I have been telling about the PKFZ scandal. Let me tell Ong that he if dares to challenge me to a 12-venue debate (say including Seremban, Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Baru, Alor Star, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu), I would accept without hesitation.

Why is Ong running away from such a public debate series to “nail the liar”, when it is the liar who should be running away from any public debate and here Ong is doing running – all the way to Paris!

Can Ong answer this question. This is my first question today.

Question No. 2 – Ong has won the right to get into the Guinnness Book of Records for a second time. Yesterday, I said Ong qualifies to get into the Guinness Book of Records in becoming the first Cabinet Minister not only in Malaysian parliamentary history but in the history of Commonwealth Parliaments, to accuse an Opposition MP for not telling the whole truth about the Cabinet meetings and decisions about a major financial scandal. What is shocking is that Ong could come out with such utter nonsense that an Opposition MP should know everything about what happened in the Cabinet over the PKFZ scandal!

Ong has won the right to get into the Guinness Book of Records for a second time, as the first MCA President to be “on the run” from Parliament and from the country (Malaysians will never forget that he ran away to France, purportedly for the Paris Air Show, so that he need not appear on the first day of the June meeting of Parliament to give a satisfactory accounting for the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal). Of course, he was not the first MCA leader and Minister to be “on the run” to avoid ministerial accountability and responsibility. Former Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy did the same thing, to be “on the run”, in November 2007 – all the way to the United Kingdom – to avoid Ministerial accountability and responsibility to Parliament, but he was only MCA Deputy President.

Can Ong explain why he is setting such a dubious and shameful record for a MCA President – first time in 60 years - and Malaysian Cabinet Minister to be “on the run” from Parliament and outside on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?

Question No. 3 – I am still waiting for Ong’s answer whether he agrees with my proposition: that Pakatan Rakyat MPs support his motion, submitted through his proxy Tebrau MP Teng Boon Soon to refer me to the Committee of Privileges for misleading Parliament on the PKFZ scandal about Cabinet meetings and decisions on the PKFZ with the quid pro quo that Barisan Nasional MPs submit my motion to refer Ong to the Committee of Privileges last Wednesday.

I am giving Ong 48 hours to say yes or no, and not to continue to run from my questions, which he had been doing for my 90 questions in the past 30 days.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor