The release of the report was a clear instruction from Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, said PKA chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng at a press conference in the PKA office here Thursday.

“I was also instructed to hand the report over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. I’ll be there tomorrow at 8am,” he said, adding that this was because PKA does not have any investigative authority.

He cautioned that the release of the report was on certain conditions, including the media not having the authority to rely on the report to arrive at any conclusions and that PwC is not obliged to respond to any queries from other parties, as its duty of care is solely to PKA.

Lee however refused to field any questions on the details of the report and repeatedly asked reporters to view Ong’s blog for further information.

He said the report would be available online at www.pka-report.com for a period of two weeks while the appendices to the report would be available for public viewing during office hours at PKA at Jalan Pelabuhan, Port Klang until June 10.

“The appendices could not be released like the report due to its voluminous nature,” he said.

The report highlighted 20 issues concerning the project’s management and governance by the PKA.

Among them were weak project management, cost overruns and conflicts of interests:

* PKA’s failure to alert the Cabinet in a timely manner of its inability to finance the project from its internal funds following an audit report by the Auditor-General in 2004 that noted that PKA did not have sufficient funds to finance the project;

* PKA’s failure to seek the advice of the Attorney-General while not complying with certain Finance Ministry regulations;

* Potential conflicts of interests arising from the involvement of parties who had prior association with either the land used to develop PKFZ or the turnkey developer, Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB);

* Awarding of the PKFZ development contract to KDSB before a project masterplan was finalised;

* PKA’s projections that it would be in a cumulative cash deficit position in 2012 and would not be able to repay the Finance Ministry soft loan instalments on time;

* PKFZ having a low occupancy rate of 14% which is not generating sufficient revenue to cover its operating expenses;

* PKFZ Sdn Bhd incurring losses since its incorporation and having negative shareholder’s funds as at Sept 30 last year; and

* The possible breach of Treasury regulations when the Transport Ministry issued letters of support which could be construed as a guarantee that PKA would meet its obligations on a full and timely basis. Such letters should have been approved by the Finance Ministry.

Earlier report:

PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet, which discussed the controversial Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project yesterday, is seeking additional information on what had occurred, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

“Yes, we did discuss and we are collecting additional information on several matters that had happened,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said in his blog that after deliberating on the issue for the third time, the Cabinet finally gave the green light for the PKFZ report to be released in its entirety.

Ong said that the Cabinet, at its weekly meeting yesterday, agreed that the Government needed to be transparent on the issue.

He said the Port Klang Authority (PKA) was directed to release the report “as soon as everything is in order”. It is believed his Ministry has to come up with certain additional information before a full report can be released.

The PKFZ issue, Ong said, had been played up and used by the Opposition as their political tool since a few years ago.

“I am glad that the Prime Minister and my Cabinet colleagues share my aspirations that our Government should be transparent and deal with the issues of the day. Sweeping problems under the carpet is not an option,” he wrote in his blog www.ongteekeat.net.

He said that with the release of the report, the Government has proven that it has nothing to hide and that the new administration was prepared to reveal the truth as well as take appropriate action to correct any wrong.

Lim, who was hired to make improvements to the Port Klang Authority (PKA), apparently did not bring in a substantial number of tenants although he had been on the job for almost a year.

The occupancy rate at PKFZ remains at 14% and the port has a long way to go before more tenants could be convinced to take up leases.

His resignation comes in the wake of his unauthorised briefing of government backbenchers even before the Cabinet was briefed on the audit report on PKFZ.

Ironically, Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing’s company, Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd, was the turnkey developer of PKFZ.

Lim’s action was said to be viewed by Transport Ministry officials as insurbordination as the Prime Minister and the Cabinet were not privy to the report yet nor had they deliberated on its contents at that time.

The general perception was that PKFZ’s performance was far from satisfactory and that a stronger team needed to be in place if the port authority was seriously considering improving its financial position.

It is believed even before Lim’s resignation, there was already talk that he might be removed due to his unauthorised action which ministry officials regarded as highly serious.

Lim’s resignation from both posts had been accepted by PKA chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng and endorsed by the board on Thursday.

His resignation would take effect on June 5. His critics said the lobbying for him to stay by certain quarters might have been orchestrated.

It was reported that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had started investigations into the PKFZ report.

Sources said the project would swell to RM7.5bil, partly due to interest costs over a 20-year period. They also said there was a lack of governance of the project.

The company had to purchase the land from the owner, Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd, at the prevailing market prices because it could not obtain it through the Acquisition of Land Act 1960.

The land was issued with a development order and it therefore had economic value. Land acquisition under the Act can only be made for public purposes whereas the company had earmarked it for economic purposes. The land, therefore, could not be acquired under the Act, said PKFZ Sdn Bhd executive chairman Lim Thean Shiang yesterday, clarifying media reports published on Monday.

On Sunday, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat released the PKFZ chronology to the media.

Lim said PKFZ Sdn Bhd agreed in 1999 to a price of RM25 per sq ft, a total of RM1.088bil, for the land with its development order and with infrastructure that is now completed.

The total cost of the PKFZ project, including this land cost, office complexes and other construction costs, is RM4.6bil.

The payment terms, somewhat similar to that of private finance initiative or PFI, are to be paid over a 15-year period. The payments are made to bondholders, mainly financial institutions.

Lim said that so far, PKFZ Sdn Bhd had paid RM1.38bil to bondholders under the scheduled payment terms.

That leaves a balance of about RM3.22bil to be paid under the schedule.

PKFZ Sdn Bhd funds this projectthrough a long term soft loan at an interest rate of 4% from the Ministry of Finance.

On the termination of Dubai-based Jebel Ali Free Zone International (Jafza) as the manager of PKFZ last year, Lim said it was over differences of its corporate policies and Malaysia’s tax regulations and national interest.

Jafza proposed tax incentives for 50 years but Malaysia’s tax regulations allow for such incentives if approved by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, for 10 years only, Lim said.

Jafza’s role at that time was to promote and market PKFZ which was then modelled after the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone in Dubai. Following the parting of ways, PKFZ Sdn Bhd took over that role for the zone in Port Klang.

PORT KLANG: After nearly 20 months of silence, Port Klang Free Zone yesterday defended the “high” purchase price of land and the termination of the previous managers, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza).

PKFZ executive chairman Lim Thean Shiang said at a press conference here that the price of RM25 per square foot paid to Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd for the project’s 404.7 hectares was “justified”.

Kuala Dimensi had reportedly bought the land for RM3 from a fisherman’s cooperative.

“The initial offer was RM28 per square foot but we brought it down to RM25.

“We feel that it is a reasonable price as it includes infrastructure and given the holding period.

“If you look at the land price in the surrounding area, it is about RM21 per square foot,” Lim said.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, who was at the press conference, said whether the government paid too much for the land would only be known once PriceWaterhouseCooper’s (PWC) cost analysis was done.

PWC was appointed independent auditor for the PKFZ project, including the land purchase, whose pricing became an issue when it became public.

On the termination of Jafza as project managers, Lim said it was due to “different expectations” between the Dubai company and Port Klang Authority.

Jafza, he said, was hired to help promote and market the PKFZ, and to capitalise on its expertise and contacts to bring in investors.

“Sadly, the investors did not come in even after two years and we decided to take over promotion and marketing.”

He said Jafza was also not aware of the government’s policies.

“For example, they wanted to give a tax holiday of 50 years to investors but Malaysia’s policy is only to give 10 years.

“They also wanted full autonomy to run PKFZ but this clashed with the government’s intentions as we are subject to certain procedures, such as going through the Customs Department and other agencies.

“Jafza thought that they could duplicate Jebel Ali (in Dubai) here at PKFZ but that cannot happen so we decided to terminate our contract with them.”

He denied accusations that the project was hamstrung by political interference, excessive red tape and vested interests as alleged by Jafza.

Lim insisted that they parted ways amicably.

Ong said claims of tax evasion attempts, and abuse of power by politicians and officials overseeing the project would also only be answered after PWC submitted its report.

He, however, defended the conduct of his predecessors, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy.

To counter accusations that PKFZ was a white elephant which tax payers had had to bail out, he released figures to show that it had been steadily getting investors since March.

Ong said his ministry was confident that the project would re-coup its RM2.94 billion cost (for land and construction) and that PKFZ could service its RM4.632 billion loan.

After a change of management in May and up to last month, he said, PKFZ had signed on 58 clients who had brought in RM974 million in investments.

The RM660 million is part payment for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ project, of which Kuala Dimensi, a subsidiary of Wijaya Baru Global Bhd, is the turnkey contractor.

In June this year, PKA general manager and chief executive officer Lim Thean Shiang said that the RM660 million payment was pending the release of audit findings by the Ministry of Finance and conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Meanwhile, Lim said the current economic situation provides PKFZ an opportunity to attract firms that are looking for low-cost free trade zones in Southeast Asia.

He said the economic crisis has made companies operating in places like Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone that command high rental charges, to consider relocating to other low-cost free zones.

PKFZ has been seeing an incremental rise in revenue through its tenancy agreements since last year, he said.

It recorded some RM7.6 million in rental revenue to date, almost double that of the RM3.7 million it collected last year. “We foresee a growth to RM14 million in 2009,” Lim said.

Kuala Dimensi, a subsidiary of Wijaya Baru Global Bhd, is the turnkey contractor for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ project.

PKA said under the first agreement, it has paid Kuala Dimensi RM238 million for land acquisition.

Payments for the land acquisition were made in two tranches, with the first totalling RM108 million in 2002 and the second totalling RM130 million in June last year.

Under the three other agreements, being payment for development work at PKFZ, PKA has paid RM480 million.

It was to pay an additional RM660 million to Kuala Dimensi this year. Of the RM660 million, RM360 million was due by June 30 and the remaining RM300 million on July 31.

However, PKA general manager and chief executive officer Lim Thean Shiang had said that it will hold the RM660 million payment to Kuala Dimensi pending the release of audit findings this week. The audit was commissioned by the Ministry of Finance and conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The total cost for PKFZ is capped at RM4.6 billion. The remaining payments will be made periodically from 2009 to 2017.

THE Ministry of Finance (MOF) is expected to release the findings later this week of a special audit to determine the actual cost incurred in developing the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) at Pulau Indah, Selangor.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) conducted the audit.

“We have written to the MOF. It is supposed to give us the report this week. We are still waiting for it,” said newly-appointed Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager and chief executive officer Lim Thean Shiang at his first press conference in Port Klang yesterday.

He said he is unsure if PKA will hold a public meeting and release the findings of the audit as it has yet to determine what the terms of reference of the report entails.

But until PwC validates the PKFZ project’s cost against the deliverables, PKA will not make any payment to the turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Wijaya Baru Global Bhd.

Payment to Kuala Dimensi is divided into four tranches, with the second tranche payable at the end of this month.

Lim said so far payment of some RM260 million has been made to Kuala Dimensi, being the first tranche and the initial down-payment of 10 per cent for the project.

It was reported that until March 31 this year, PKA has paid RM238 million for land purchase and RM480 million for development work.

The PKFZ project has drawn criticisms from the public over its ballooning cost overruns, which grew to RM4.6 billion from an initial RM1.3 billion.

“The RM4.6 billion amount is just a ceiling (spending limit). We don’t think the project’s actual cost will surpass that,” said Lim.

Meanwhile, PwC has been appointed by MOF to conduct another audit of the 405ha facility, this time on its “feasibility and how to make it successful”, said Lim.

On the soft loans provided by the government for the PKFZ project, Lim said the government has agreed to give the loans but details of the repayment scheme are still being worked out.

“We are seeking to extend the term of the loan to 20 years and to lower the interest rate to two per cent from the government-approved four per cent,” he added.

On the very first day of the current 45-day budget parliamentary session from August 27 to December 19, 2007, I had highlighted the scandal of the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone bailout in an emergency motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 18(1) for a debate on an issue of urgent, definite public importance as there had been no proper accountability to Parliament whether by the Transport Minister or Finance Minister despite the various exposes in the public domain, such as

• Hanky-panky in the purchase of the 1,000 acres for the PKFZ, despite objections by the Finance Ministry and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

• Mismanagement resulting in the pull-out of Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (Jafza) from the project, which could become a “white elephant”.
• Questionable cost-overruns of the PKFZ, ballooning to RM4.63 billion from the original estimate of RM1.1 billion.
• The unlawful and unauthorized Transport Ministry issue of four “letters of support” which were used by the turnkey contractor – Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) – to raise RM4.6 billion bonds and get an AAA rating from the Malaysia Rating Corporation Bhd. for the PKFZ project.
• Why the government and the 26 million Malaysians must now bear responsibility for a RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout despite earlier assurances that the PKFZ project would be feasible, self-financing and would not involve a single ringgit of public funds.
• Why the Prime Minister is breaching his undertaking of no bailout of mega-billion-ringgit “white elephant” projects — with the PKFZ bailout set to be the biggest financial scandal at the beginning of any Prime Minister.

However, my emergency motion on the first day of the current meeting of Parliament was rejected by the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah as not urgent.

Since then, for the past three months, I had repeatedly sought to demand government accountability for the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal but to no avail, as I came up against the wall of prevarication and evasion, with the ball kicked from one Ministry to another, namely the Transport Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Department. Nobody wanted wanting to give a proper answer or accept accountability, with everyone either falsely claiming that it had already been answered or would be answered by another Ministry.

I had raised the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal during the policy and committee stages of the debate on the 2007 Supplementary Estimates and the 2008 Budget but Parliament and the nation have still to get satisfactory answers.

When I raised the issue during the 2008 Budget committee stage debate on the Prime Minister’s Department, the Minister concerned, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said questions on the PKFZ scandal should rightly be answered by the Transport Minister.

When I again raised the issue three Mondays ago during the committee stage of the debate on the Finance Ministry, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Finance Ministry, Datuk Seri Dr. Hilmi Yahya said he would answer by way of written reply. I asked for the written answer to be given within a week. Hilmi was non-committal. More than two weeks have passed and I am still waiting. What has Hilmi got to hide about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal?

It was precisely because of this record and background of prevarication and evasion of accountability that I strongly protested last week at a “government-on-the-run” when the Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy left for London to attend the 25th International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Assembly, which would mean another escape-act by the Minister from parliamentary responsibility and accountability over the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal as the Transport Ministry was scheduled to be debated last Thursday.

At least the protest achieved the effect of ensuring that the Transport Ministry committee stage debate is put off from last week till today to enable the Minister to be back from London to come to Parliament to assume responsibility and accountability for his Ministerial portfolios.

I hope this will be the end of prevarications and evasions and a government on-the-run on the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal.

I had in fact simplified the many questions on the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal which cry out for answer to five major ones, viz:

1. Was it true that when the Port Klang Authority and the Transport Ministry insisted on buying the 1,000 acres of Pulau Indah land for PKFZ at RM25 psf on a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis, in the face of strong objection by the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Treasury which had recommended that the land be acquired at RM10 psf, the Cabinet had given its approval subject to two conditions: (i) categorical assurance by the Transport Minister that the PKFZ proposal was feasible and self-financing and would not require any public funding; and (ii) that every RM100 million variation in the development costs of PKFZ would require prior Cabinet approval.

2. In the event, the first condition was breached when the PKFZ project ballooned from RM1.1 billion to RM4.6 billion requiring government intervention and bailout while the second condition was breached with the original PKFZ development costs of RM400 million ballooning to RM2.8 billion without any prior Cabinet approval ever been sought for every RM100 million increase in development costs.

3. The Transport Minister had unlawfully issued four Letters of Support to Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd (KDSB), the PKFZ turnkey contractor — to raise RM4 billion bonds, which were regarded as government guarantees by the market. The Transport Minister had no such powers to issue financial guarantees committing the government, as it could only be issued by the Finance Minister and only after Cabinet approval. The first Letter of Support was issued by the former Transport Minister, Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik on May 28, 2003, which was Liong Sik’s last day as Transport Minister while the other three were issued by Kong Choy.

4. Whether it wasn’t true that in recognition that the four unlawful “Letters of Support” of the Transport Minister had nonetheless given implicit government guarantee to the market that the Cabinet had in mid-year to give retrospective approval for the unlawful and unauthorized four Letters of Support by the Transport Ministers in the past four years creating RM4.6 billion liability for the government in the bailout of PKFZ.

5. Why no action had been taken against the Transport Minister, both Liong Sik and Kong Choy, as well as the government officials responsible for the unlawful issue of the four “Letters of Support”. Kong Choy had said that he did not know that he had no power as Transport Minister to issue such Letters of Support. Was this acceptable explanation for getting the government embroiled in the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal?

I have raised these questions of accountability, integrity and good governance many times in the current meeting of Parliament, but I have not been able to get any clear-cut answers.

Why is it impossible for the Transport Minister to give a simple “yes or no” answer to these questions if he has nothing to hide in the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal?

The time has come not only for the Transport Minister but also for the Prime Minister to end the conspiracy of denial-cum-silence about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout as the largest financial scandal at the start of any Prime Minister in Malaysia — even bigger than the RM2.5 billion Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) scandal which led off the Mahathir premiership more than two decades ago.

If the Mahathir premiership could appoint a three-man Ahmad Nordin public inquiry into the RM2.5 billion BMF scandal, why is Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi not prepared to “walk the talk” of his pledge to lead a clean, incorruptible, accountable, transparent, trustworthy and responsible administration by establishing a public inquiry into the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal?

There should be a public inquiry to find out who had been the beneficiaries of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal – whether personalities from MCA, Umno as well as the BN MP for Bintulu, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

The issue of four “letters of support” by the Transport Minister for the RM3.8 billion bonds issued by KDSB, which were regarded as government guarantees, resulting in 3A ratings by Malaysia Rating Corporation Berhad (MARC) remains unanswered.

This is unlawful and gross abuse of power as only the Cabinet can authorize such government guarantee for bonds and which can only be issued by the Finance Ministry. The four letters of support had never been authorized by the Cabinet.

The first letter of support was issued by the former Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ling Liong Sik and the three others by Chan Kong Choy.

I had challenge any Cabinet Minister to deny that it was precisely because the government accepts that the Transport Minister’s “letters of support” were tantamount to government guarantees for KDSB’s RM4.6 billion bonds that the the Cabinet has recently given retrospective approval to the unauthorized government guarantees to the KDSB bonds based on the four letters of support of the Transport Minister.

As a result, the Cabinet also approved the RM4.6 billion bailout of the PKFZ scandal.

The even more question is why no punitive action had been taken against the Transport Minister concerned who had unlawfully issued letters of support for KDSB’s RM4.6 billion bonds, which have forced the Cabinet to give them retrospective approval and the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout.

The first letter of support for the first issue of RM1.31 billion bonds by KDSB was issued by the former Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ling Liong Sik on May 28, 2003 which was his last day as Transport Minister before going on a month’s leave and resignation.

Was the signing of the unlawful letter of support fror KDSB’s first issue of RM1.31 billion bonds Ling’s last act as Transport Minister? This raises grave questions about propriety and integrity of Ling in his last day in office as Transport Minister which must be thoroughly investigated.

Why has Liong Sik not been investigated and charged in court for gross abuse of power in his last day as Transport Minister, starting the process resulting in the RM4.6 billion PKFZ bailout scandal?

The same question applies to Kong Choy. Is it acceptable that he did not know as Transport Minister that he did not have the power to issue such Letters of Support, which could only be made by the Finance Minister and after approval by Cabinet?

There is no better answer than the one given by one poster on my blog, Jeffrey, as follows:

“No, it is not acceptable. A Minister cannot plead ignorance regarding what he is authorised or not authorised to do as an excuse — and yet claim he is not half past six.

“It is ironical that if a bank officer exceeds his authority in a loan approval by a few hundred thousand Ringgit he can be prosecuted under Banking and Financial Institutional Act for jeopardizing public funds but where a minister exceeded his authority committing public funds measured in terms of billions of Ringgit he is not only not held accountable but the government ratified his unauthorized acts.”

There is another reason why it is completely unacceptable for Kong Choy to plead ignorance, for he was the Deputy Finance Minister for close to four years from Dec. 1999 to June 2003, before he was elevated as Transport Minister.

I am moving a RM10 cut motion not only because of the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal, Chan’s role as Transport Minister but also for the long record of prevarication and evasion of accountability and responsibility.

[Speech on the RM10 salary-cut motion for the Transport Minister, Chan Kong Choy, over the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) bailout scandal in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, 27th November 2007]

A MEETING between the Public Accounts Committee and Port Klang Authority (PKA) officials has raised more questions than answers.

PAC chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said the committee was “unsatisfied” with how the meeting went.

“The problem with the Port Klang Free Zone is far bigger than what the papers have reported,” he said yesterday.

“Far too many questions were left unanswered.”

When asked whether he was satisfied with the discussion, Shahrir said: “Look at us (the committee members). You can see from our body language that we are not.”

The two-hour meeting was meant to allow the PAC to question PKA officials on the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.

The project first raised eyebrows when PKA bought 405ha in Pulau Indah in 2002 for RM1.088 billion, or RM25 per sq ft, from Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd. The land purchase was followed by RM1.845 billion in costs for the development of the free trade zone.

In July, port operator Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) withdrew from a contract to manage PKFZ.

Last month, the Transport Ministry said the government had agreed to extend a loan of an unspecified amount to the heavily-indebted PKA to help cover the total cost which had ballooned to RM4.6 billion, including interest and other charges.

Shahrir referred to the auditor-general’s report on PKA for the 2005 financial year, showing PKA’s liquid assets to be inadequate in financing its capital obligations.

“According to the report, PKA’s liquidity as of December 2005 was RM231.75 million, while the tax surplus was RM26.63 million, so PKA would need additional financing to meet its capital obligations of RM4.11 billion.”

Those present at the meeting included PKA general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang and Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Zakaria Bahari.

KLANG: Kos bagi projek pembangunan Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Klang (PKFZ) di Pulau Indah, Selangor meningkat kepada RM4.632 bilion selepas Lembaga Pelabuhan Klang (LPK) memutuskan untuk memajukannya serentak bagi keseluruhan kira-kira 400 hektar kawasannya.

Kementerian Pengangkutan dalam kenyataannya menjelaskan, mulanya PKFZ dicadangkan untuk dilaksanakan dalam dua fasa membabitkan sebahagian tanah seluas kira-kira 200 hektar dengan kos pembangunan dianggarkan sebanyak RM400 juta.

Bagaimanapun, atas nasihat Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone (Jafza) yang ketika itu bertindak sebagai pengurus zon bebas berkenaan, LPK membangunkannya secara serentak membabitkan keseluruhan 400 hektar kawasan dengan kos RM1.845 bilion.

“Selepas mengambil kira kos pembelian tanah, kos pembangunan bersama dengan kos faedah 7.5 peratus, yuran profesional 10 peratus dan kos-kos lain yang hanya dihadkan kepada 20 peratus jika digunakan, jumlah kos keseluruhan PKFZ adalah dianggarkan berjumlah RM4.632 bilion,” katanya.

Mengenai kos keseluruhan pembelian tanah, kementerian itu berkata, harga RM1.088 bilion atau RM25 sekaki persegi yang dibayar LPK kepada Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) bagi 400 hektar tanah tapak PKFZ itu adalah berdasarkan penilaian Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta selepas mengambil kira kerja-kerja prasarana yang dilaksanakan di tanah berkenaan.

Kerja prasarana itu termasuk penambakan tanah, perparitan, pembinaan jalan masuk dan jambatan, penyediaan lampu jalan, bekalan air serta bayaran kepada agensi utiliti.

Selepas mengambil kira bayaran kadar faedah 7.5 peratus kerana tempoh pembayaran kepada KDSB bagi pembelian itu dibuat dalam tempoh 15 tahun, jumlah keseluruhan kos pembelian tanah ialah sebanyak RM1.807 bilion.

Memperincikan kos pembangunan PKFZ, kementerian itu berkata, sejumlah RM1 bilion dibelanjakan bagi membina kemudahan utama merangkumi empat blok bangunan pejabat lapan tingkat untuk sewaan, 512 unit bangunan untuk industri ringan, pejabat Pihak Berkuasa Zon Bebas serta pejabat kastam dan laluan pemeriksaan, sebuah pusat pameran, tempat meletak kereta bertingkat serta bangunan keselamatan.

Sebanyak RM845 juta pula dibelanjakan bagi menaik taraf simpang masuk dan jalan raya, kerja infrastruktur elektrikal, pembinaan hotel kelas perniagaan, kerja penanaman kabel sepanjang 42 kilometer, dan kerja elektrikal lain.

Kementerian itu berkata, berikutan kos keseluruhan PKFZ membabitkan kos yang tinggi, kerajaan bersetuju meluluskan pinjaman mudah kepada LPK bagi membolehkannya membiayai kos pembangunan PKFZ dengan butirannya sedang diuruskan.

“PKFZ adalah projek nasional membabitkan penyediaan infrastruktur untuk membantu pertumbuhan kargo di Pelabuhan Klang, menjana pertumbuhan ekonomi negara, mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan dan perkhidmatan, serta aktiviti sampingan,” katanya.

Kementerian Pengangkutan juga berkata, kerajaan menghormati keputusan Jafza mengundur diri daripada perjanjian pengurusan zon bebas itu yang dimeterainya dengan LPK pada Oktober 2003. Tindakan itu bagaimanapun tidak akan menjejaskan kerjasama dan peluang perniagaan antara JAFZA dengan LPK pada masa depan.

LPK dan Jafza menamatkan kontrak pengurusan dan pentadbiran bagi zon bebas itu atas persetujuan bersama pada 18 Julai lalu berdasarkan perubahan dasar semasa syarikat berpangkalan di Dubai itu.

Projek PKFZ sebelum ini dilaporkan dikritik peserta industri logistik yang mengatakan ia berdepan risiko untuk menjadi projek gajah putih. Mereka juga mempersoalkan bagaimanapun kos pembangunannya meningkat begitu tinggi.

Turut mendapat perhatian ialah harga bagi pembelian tanah bagi tapak zon bebas itu yang dikatakan terlalu tinggi. Laporan sebelum ini menyebut, kerajaan negeri memberikan tanah berkenaan kepada Koperasi Pembangunan Pulau Lumut (KPPL) yang kemudian menjualnya kepada KDSB pada harga RM95 juta atau RM3 sekaki persegi.

INFO

PKFZ

* Konsep berdasar model Zon Bebas Jebel Ali di Dubai tetapi disesuaikan dengan persekitaran tempatan dan serantau

* Kedudukan strategik bersebelahan Westports di Pulau Indah

* Pembangunan di kawasan 400 hektar dengan kemudahan bercampur.

* Beroperasi November 2006

* Sebanyak 30 syarikat dalam dan luar negara menyertainya.