It is learnt that a team from the Putrajaya MACC has been investigating and inquiring from those in the know about the project.

Sources familiar with the investigation said the MACC is expected to intensify its probe once it has obtained a copy of the report by accounting firm Pricewaterhouse-Coopers Advisory Services Sdn Bhd (PwC).

They said the MACC would study the report and see if there were new elements which the commission could follow up on.

The MACC is also expected to contact several people in the Port Klang Authority (PKA) as part of its investigations.

MACC director of investigations Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull confirmed investigations were in progress but declined to elaborate.

It is learnt that the report, which has yet to be made public, detailed cost overruns amounting to billions of ringgit and a trail of improper and poor decisions during the development of the PKFZ.

The PKFZ project was for a cluster of offices and light industrial buildings in the port area, originally estimated to cost RM1.9bil.

However, sources said the report stated that the project cost would swell to RM7.5bil, partly due to interest costs over a 20-year period.

Sources said one of the recommendations was for the PKA to restructure a RM4.6bil soft loan from the Finance Ministry to avoid a potential default in 2012.

The cost would expand further to RM12.5bil if the loan from the Finance Ministry were rescheduled to match PKA’s projected cash flows, the sources said.

They added that PKA’s options included loan rescheduling, government grant and privatisation.

The sources also said there were PKFZ development proposals which were not tabled to the Cabinet for approval.

They also said development contracts totalling RM1.8bil were awarded to a company called Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd without competitive bids.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, meanwhile, said the PwC report was discussed by the Cabinet yesterday.

The issue was also the subject of deliberations last week. Cabinet ministers are also believed to have been given copies of the PwC report.

“The Cabinet members were given the opportunity to study the report in greater detail. I understand that PKA has managed to resolve several technical issues with PwC to release the report, including the issue of indemnity,” he said in his blog yesterday.

Ong said he remained committed to a policy of transparency and openness.

“This is what a ‘People First, Performance Now’ government should be. The people not only have the right to know but should also be assured that the Government is acting in their best interest,” he said.

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has criticised a local business weekly for not verifying facts that painted a wrong picture of the Transport Minister and investigations into the operations of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ).

Ong said that since Saturday, he had received many telephone calls from the press over the article, which among others claimed that the cost for the PKFZ project had ballooned to RM8bil from the initial RM4.6bil announced and that the minister was responsible for delays in the report on the investigations being made public.

He said he stood by his announcement in December last year that the investigations conducted by the Port Klang Authority (PKA) through auditing firm Pricewaterhouse-Coopers (PwC) would be made public once the report was completed.

However, he said there were certain documents including correspondence that needed to be declassified before they could be included in the report.

He said the Port Klang Authority had applied for them to be declassified and was in the midst of following up on the matter with the relevant ministries.

“I have said that the port authority will make the report public and not the Transport Ministry because it was the authority that commissioned the investigations.

“The port authority will have a free hand to release the report when it is ready and there will be no intervention from the ministry. This has been my commitment from the beginning of the investigations,” he told a press conference after launching the Indian Muslim Business Directory at the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress’ (Kimma) 33rd delegates conference yesterday.

Ong said it did not make sense to claim that he had asked for the report not to be released, as he was the one who directed the port authority to conduct the investigations into the project and make the findings public.

He said the ministry had hoped that the report on the investigations would give the zone a fresh start while helping to look into the areas of concern.

“I am also waiting for the port authority to release the report because I am contemplating submitting the report to both the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Council and the parliament’s Public Accountability Committee,” he said.

A study by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) last year revealed that some of the railway gates were missing or broken, he said.

He added that the Government was concerned for the safety of the people and had taken action to solve the problem.

“We are upgrading the railway gates in stages,” he told reporters during a working trip here yesterday.

Earlier, Ong inspected the level crossing at the access road into Bukit Siput here.

He said the stretch of the road at the level crossing would be widened to ease traffic congestion.

He said the decision to widen the road was made following requests from the 8,000 residents of the Bukit Siput area.

Earlier, at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Sabak Bernam MCA branch building in Jalan Raja Chulan in Sabak Bernam, Ong said the Transport Ministry was leaving it to Port Klang Free Zone Sdn Bhd (PKFZ) and PricewaterhouseCoopers as to when to announce the PKFZ financial report.

“The report will be released soon, but I am unable to say when. Let them finish their work,” he said.

Ong said the whole investigation process was done by independent accountants without any interference.

“I have said that there would be no interference on my part or the Government’s. Any interference on the research will never be allowed,” he added.

Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, berkata, pencapaian itu lebih baik berbanding Jebel Ali Free Trade Zon (Jafza) di Dubai yang mampu menarik pelaburan 40 peratus dalam tempoh enam tahun.

“Ini permulaan yang baik kepada PKFZ walaupun baru dibuka dua setengah tahun. Prestasi ini diharap menangkis tohmahan yang menuduh PKFZ sebagai projek gajah putih,” katanya pada sidang media mengumumkan kronologi pembangunan PKFZ di sini, semalam.

Hadir sama, Pengerusi Lembaga Pelabuhan Klang (LKP), Datuk Lee Hwa Beng dan Pengerusi Eksekutif PKFZ, Lim Thean Shian.

Ong berkata, setakat bulan lalu, PKFZ mencatatkan pelaburan RM974 juta dengan 58 pelabur tempatan serta asing dan menyediakan 1,659 peluang pekerjaan.

Katanya, 46 hektar daripada 77 hektar tanah kosong disediakan PKFZ disewa 14 pelanggan, manakala 34 daripada 60 Unit Industri Ringan (LIU) disewa dan 95,033 daripada 25,000 kaki persegi ruang pejabat juga disewa.

Beliau berkata, jumlah pergerakan kargo kontena di PKFZ meningkat 495 peratus dengan 8,015 TEU bulan lalu berbanding hanya 809 TEU pada Mac, manakala bukan kontena meningkat 307 peratus dalam tempoh sama.

Ong berkata, penamatan kontrak Jafza yang bertanggungjawab mengurus dan mempromosikan PKFZ pada Julai tahun lalu tidak menjejaskan usaha menarik pelabur dari Timur Tengah.

Sementara itu, Lim berkata, kontrak Jafza ditamatkan kerana polisi syarikat berpangkalan di Dubai berbeza dengan PKFZ yang tertakluk di bawah Kementerian Pengangkutan selain perlu mematuhi syarat pelaburan yang ditetapkan Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (Miti).

SHAH ALAM: Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (gambar), berkata hasil siasatan terhadap kronologi dakwaan penyelewengan pelaburan RM4.6 bilion untuk projek Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Klang (PKFZ) diumumkan dua hari lagi.

Beliau mengumumkan siasatan kronologi kes itu kepada umum seperti dijanjikan awal bulan ini.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, siasatan status kewangan projek yang dilakukan firma perakaunan dan percukaian global, PricewaterhouseCoopers belum dapat diumumkan kerana masih dalam semakan terakhir.

“Saya akan memenuhi janji untuk umumkan hasil siasatan kronologi PKFZ kepada umum dalam dua hari lagi tetapi hanya membabitkan kronologi, manakala status kewangan diumumkan kemudian,” katanya selepas menyaksikan perjanjian persefahaman antara Sirim Berhad dengan syarikat pengeluar teknologi enjin kenderaan menggunakan Hidrogen (H-Fuel), EGR Tech Sdn Bhd di sini, semalam.

Sebelum ini, laporan menyebut, siasatan status kewangan projek itu tidak dapat disiapkan dalam tempoh diminta kementeriannya kerana belum mendapatkan keterangan beberapa individu yang terbabit dengan PKFZ.

Projek bernilai RM1.1 bilion itu menimbulkan kontroversi apabila nilainya meningkat kepada RM4.6 bilion serta dianugerah kepada sebuah syarikat tanpa proses sepatutnya.

Dalam perkembangan lain, Ong berkata, beliau akan mendapatkan nasihat dan pandangan Penasihat Undang-undang kementerian berhubung saman RM100 juta yang difailkan syarikat pengendali e-kesihatan, Supremme Systems Sdn Bhd (Supremme Systems).

Beliau berkata, saman difailkan terhadap kerajaan Malaysia dan dirinya selepas kementeriannya membatalkan e-kesihatan yang mewajibkan pemohon Lesen Memandu Perkhidmatan Kenderaan Awam (PSV) dan Lesen Memandu Kenderaan Barang (GDL) menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan tahunan.

E-Kesihatan dibatalkan kerana banyak masalah, selain disyaki terdedah kepada penyelewengan dan rasuah.

His first task will be to appoint an independent auditor to check PKFZ’s financial standing to determine whether claims of waste and cost overruns are true.

Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat, who announced Lee’s appointment yesterday, said the independent audit is not meant to be a witch hunt or a probe into the individuals previously handling PKFZ’s accounts.

“There have been a lot of media reports saying the project is scandalous and a white elephant but at the moment these have not been conclusively proven.

“In order to give PKFZ a fresh start we need to carry out this audit,” Ong told reporters in Putrajaya after his ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting.

He said if the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee wishes to conduct their own probe into PKFZ’s management and finances, the ministry and the Port Klang Authority, which owns the free zone, will cooperate.

He said he expects Lee to announce the auditor by next week.

Lee, an accountant, replaces Datuk Chor Chee Heung, who resigned on March 31. Chor, the Alor Star MP, is now deputy home minister.

Lee told newsmen that heading the RM4.6 billion free zone will be a challenging task. It has come under public scrutiny because the initial cost of the development was to be RM1.3 billion.

Lee said he resigned as chairman of Integrated Logistics Bhd on April 24 as it would present a conflict of interest with his new appointment.

Bagaimanapun, Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Ong Tee Kiat, berkata sebuah syarikat perakaunan bebas akan dibentuk untuk mengaudit status kewangan projek itu terlebih dulu.

“Proses pengauditan itu akan dijalankan secara bebas dan Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara (PAC) berhak menjalankan siasatan tanpa sebarang pengaruh luar.

“Syarikat perakaunan ini akan dilantik Pengerusi Lembaga Pelabuhan Klang yang baru, Datuk Lee Hwa Beng,” katanya pada sidang media selepas mesyuarat pasca Kabinet di kementeriannya di sini, semalam.

Projek PKFZ menimbulkan kontroversi hingga terdapat segelintir pihak yang menyebarkan dakyah mengenai projek itu menerusi SMS.

Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, pernah membuat kenyataan bahawa Kerajaan Persekutuan gagal menguruskan PKFZ dengan baik sebelum meminta projek itu diserahkan kepada kerajaan negeri.

Ong berkata, hasil siasatan itu perlu dimaklumkan kepada orang ramai selepas terdapat pihak yang membuat tuduhan projek itu sebagai ‘gajah putih’ dan dikaitkan dengan pelbagai skandal.

“Biarlah siasatan dijalankan bagi mengetahui kebenarannya dan apa langkah yang perlu diambil,” katanya.

Katanya, beliau akan melawat projek itu minggu depan bagi melihat sendiri perkembangannya sejak dimulakan November lalu.

Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Ong Tee Keat, berkata syarikat berkenaan akan dilantik Pengerusi Lembaga Pelabuhan Klang yang baru, Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, minggu depan.

“Syarikat perakaunan yang dilantik hanya menjalankan urusan pengauditan status kewangan projek berkenaan secara bebas dan Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara (PAC) berhak menjalankan siasatan terhadap pengurusan LPK tanpa sebarang pengaruh luar.

“Saya ingin tegaskan bahawa pelantikan syarikat perakaunan bebas ini adalah untuk memberi PKFZ satu titik tolak yang baru bagi menjawab tuduhan pelbagai pihak berkaitan projek berkenaan.

“Ia bukan bermaksud pihak tertentu (LPK) yang menangani kewangan PKFZ perlu disoal siasat,” katanya pada sidang media selepas mesyuarat pasca Kabinet di kementeriannya di sini, semalam.

Sebelum ini, kementerian itu menafikan dakwaan pembangkang wujud penyelewengan dalam pelaksanaan PKFZ bernilai RM4.632 bilion, sekali gus menyebabkan projek itu gagal dan menjadi projek gajah putih.

Ong berkata, pada masa ini, masih terlalu awal untuk pihaknya membuat sebarang pengumuman bagi menjawab pelbagai tuduhan berkaitan projek PKFZ yang memulakan operasi November lalu.

“Biarlah siasatan dijalankan bagi mengetahui kebenarannya,” katanya.

Minister Datuk Ong Tee Kiat said the investigation is currently ongoing.

“I will announce it very soon. It is not because I’m being pressured but because we should address the issue to uphold transparency,” he told reporters after launching the 14th World Route Development Forum in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The probe would reveal how the development cost has risen to RM4.6 billion, how to revive the free zone and also to identify those responsible for cost overruns.

Beliau berkata, rakyat berhak mengetahui kedudukan sebenar isu itu bagi memastikan mereka tidak lagi membuat andaian salah berikutan pelbagai khabar angin.

Katanya, kesediaan kerajaan menyiasat perkara itu bukti kepemimpinan negara sentiasa mengamalkan ketelusan dalam semua isu yang dibangkitkan oleh rakyat.

“Sebagai menteri yang baru dilantik, saya terpanggil untuk mengetahui kedudukan sebenar PKFZ sehingga pihak tertentu mengambil kesempatan menyebarkan dakyah mengenai isu itu .

“Kita tidak mahu PKFZ terus dijadikan senjata pembangkang dengan berkata kegagalan menguruskan wang itu sebagai bukti kerajaan tidak mengamalkan ketelusan,” katanya pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Forum Pembangunan Laluan Dunia (Routes) Kuala Lumpur 2008 di sini semalam.

Beliau berkata, sudah tiba masanya kerajaan menyelesaikan pelbagai isu berbangkit sehingga menyebabkan sokongan rakyat terjejas dalam pilihan raya umum baru-baru ini.

“Kita tidak mahu terus bergelut dalam kancah yang sama dan sesuatu perlu dilakukan untuk kita terus mara menerusi mesej yang lebih telus kepada rakyat,” katanya.

Dalam perkembangan sama, Ong berkata, beliau menumpukan perhatian kepada usaha membangunkan semula PKFZ yang berdepan pelbagai masalah sebelum ini.

“Berdasarkan maklumat awal, pengusaha di PKFZ masih kurang memuaskan dan kita akan mendapatkan maklumat daripada pengurusan PKFZ mengenai punca perkara ini berlaku bagi membolehkan tindakan lanjut diambil,” katanya.