Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Dr M oversaw PKFZ land valuation

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Former transport minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik appeared to pass the buck over the costing and valuation of the Port Klang Free Trade Zone (PKFZ) land to his former boss, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In the verbatim of the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) meeting procedures released yesterday, Ling said his ministry could only “state the fact that we wanted the land.”
However, Ling pointed out that the costing and valuation of the land was determined by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) which was chaired by former prime minister and finance minister, Dr Mahathir.
“Our job in Ministry of Transport is to only state the fact that we want the land. Costings, valuations and all that, it is not the function of the Ministry of Transport. We do not have a Valuation Department.
“Costings and valuations is a question for the Treasury to deal with. They have the Valuation Department and everything is there, not in Ministry of Transport. I think Tun Dr Mahathir who chaired it, and he was the Finance Minister also. He saw it very clearly. That was the fact of the case,” he said in the verbatim.
Dr Mahathir has remained relatively silent on the scandal which could cost taxpayers RM12.453 billion.
The PAC recommended yesterday that former transport minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka OC Phang be investigated for criminal breach of trust in the PKFZ scandal.
PAC reported that the government would have spent RM442.13 and saved RM645.87 million if the land had been acquired for PKFZ in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act 1960.
It also reported that the cost of the land was RM47.76 per square foot, or 67 per cent higher than the RM25 fixed by the JPPH.
The 405ha PKFZ transhipment hub, which has warehouses, office blocks and a four-star hotel, has been dogged by controversy ever since it was revealed that its original development cost had ballooned from less than RM2.5 billion to up to RM4.6 billion.
There were also questions about the possible kickbacks after it was disclosed that several individuals acquired the piece of land where the PKFZ now sits at RM3 per sq ft in 1999.
Dr Mahathir had said that he heard that the project was being plagued by problems but claimed that nobody reported to him of any wrongdoing.
PKFZ ran into further problems when the management company, Jebel Ali Free Zone International, terminated its contract in 2007.
Chan was dropped as Barisan Nasional candidate for the last general election and subsequently lost his job largely due to the way the PKFZ debacle was handled.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also reported that the project outlay of RM4.947 billion will go up to RM7.453 billion due to interest payments and Port Klang Authority (PKA) must restructure the loan or it will balloon to RM12.453 billion by 2051.
Malaysia
Nizar gets 5 judges, not 11


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — A five-man panel of Federal Court judges today dismissed toppled Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaludin's application for an 11-man Bench to hear his appeal to be reinstated, without cost.
Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff ordered Nizar's lawyers to continue with arguments of the main case immediately.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Ahli MCA perlu sokong Ong, Dr Chua - Tun M

PUTRAJAYA: Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berkata ahli MCA perlu kembali bersatu dan memberi sokongan yang padu terhadap kepimpinan presiden parti itu, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat dan timbalannya, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Menurut beliau, memandangkan kedua-dua pemimpin itu telah kembali bersama, maka pemimpin lain dan semua ahli parti harus memberikan sokongan demi kepentingan MCA.
"Soi Lek dan Tee Keat dah kembali bersama, yang lain sepatutnya menyokong di belakang dan beri sokongan," katanya kepada media selepas menyampaikan ucaptama siri syarahan perdana mengenai Peranan Wanita dan Belia dalam Pembangunan Nasional di Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana hari ini.
Beliau berkata demikian bagi mengulas mengenai krisis kepimpinan yang terus melanda MCA apabila parti itu kini mempunyai 'dua' Timbalan Presiden selepas parti itu menerima keputusan Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) bahawa Dr Chua kembali memegang jawatannya.
Manakala Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai yang sebelum ini dilantik ke jawatan itu menggantikan Dr Chua menyatakan pendirian untuk mencabar keputusan ROS itu di mahkamah.
Liow berkata keputusan ROS itu melanggar perlembagaan parti kerana ROS tidak mempunyai hak mencampuri keputusan mesyuarat agung luar biasa (EGM) MCA pada 10 Oktober lalu apabila menolak resolusi ketiga supaya mengembalikan jawatan Timbalan Presiden kepada Dr Chua.
Mengulas lanjut, Dr Mahathir berkata, perasaan tidak puas hati hanya akan merugikan MCA.
"Mereka perlu beri sokongan, tapi sekarang ada orang yang tak gembira, Tee Keat pula perlu ambil tindakan pecat orang, ini semua perkara yang tidak sihat.
"Dr Mahathir juga mengulangi nasihatnya kepada MCA agar parti itu tidak mengadakan EGM yang baru kerana perkara itu hanya menimbulkan perpecahan dalam parti.
"EGM tak akan selesaikan apa-apa, EGM hanya akan tentukan siapa yang menang dan siapa yang kalah.
"Dan kebiasaannya, dalam setiap kes, yang kalah tidak akan sokong yang menang dan ia akan pecah belahkan parti... kita ada pengalaman itu dalam Umno," katanya.
Terdahulu dalam sesi soal jawab pada majlis berkenaan, Dr Mahathir berkata Umno perlu membuka ruang kepada generasi muda jika parti itu benar-benar mahukan melakukan perubahan.
Jelasnya perubahan tersebut perlu dilakukan terutamanya di peringkat pemimpin akar umbi.
"Saya fikir kepimpinan Umno mesti percaya bahawa Umno menjadi semakin kecil kerana pemimpin peringkat bawah sebenarnya menghalang orang untuk menyertai Umno.
"Jadi tak ada pembaharuan kerana pemimpin yang ada sekarang akan menjadi semakin tua dan akhirnya dikalangan mereka sahaja yang akan dipilih menjadi pemimpin kerana mereka sahaja yang ada untuk dipilih," katanya.
马华中委会11月3日论战内容结果如下:
》堤前革除曹智雄、蔡金星、姚伟豪和颜丰守的受委中委职位后,翁诗杰另委林祥才、蔡智勇、陈进明为中委。林鸿昌取代被撤职的梁邓忠出任法律局主任。挺翁到底,情义相随的王赛芝成为新闻局主任。
》针对16名中委上书要求召开特大,由於提案的内容违反党章,遭到驳回。
》蔡细历於今早获得社团注册局确认,他是合法的马华署理总会长。经过表决,22票赞成,12票反对,4票弃权,蔡细历由中委会重新接纳,此时,大势已去,只担任18天署总的廖中莱回到副总会长应有的座位,那张椅子换上蔡细历的屁股坐上去了,还有廖中莱的余温。
不过,心不甘愿的廖中莱表示,保留追究署理双胞的权力,或采取行动上诉。
较早时,他不愿意以票决来决定蔡的回归。但,有中委指出,10月15日的中委会议早就劝告勿仓促补位,但廖派当时人强马壮,执意票决通过让他上位。今日也应该重复昨天的故事,所以,一经票决,老蔡登岸了,摇呀摇,又摇到外婆家了。
》廖中莱在中委会中,用很无辜的表情,用很多的时间表达他与魏家祥和周美芬并没有逼宫谋位。不必说可以想像,有蔡细历撑腰后,翁诗杰有点自信,并不怎么鸟他,任廖如何说,不为所动。
》至於大团结方案的内容,当然爽了翁与蔡,就让廖与魏非常不快。没有问题,民主精神少数服从多数,举手:24票对17票通过。礼成。
PAC: Probe ex-transport minister for CBT
Nov 4, 09 11:17am
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended that former transport minister Chan Kong Choy to be investigated for criminal breach of trust in relation to the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Salvaged speaker's robe part to be auctioned
Humayun Kabir Oct 31, 09 5:21pm
As the adage goes one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and what BN has destroyed, Pakatan will make good use of.The humiliation and suffering that Pakatan speaker V Sivakumar underwent at the hands of the police when they forcefully disrobed him of his official speaker’s garb, may not have been in vain after all, as there is a plan to auction the piece of the robe that he managed to hold on to during the scuffle.


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Liow goes for jugular, calls for CC to quit en masse
Oct 31, 09 6:17pm
MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai has called on all central committee members to resign en masse to force a re-election of top party posts.