Ong to tell all on PKFZ

theStar - New Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat will reveal how the RM4.6bil soft loan to the Port Klang Free Zone was spent.

“I wish to inform the rakyat about the true situation – whether it was actually squandered, not squandered, and where it has gone to, as well as the breakdown of the budget,” he said.

He was responding to allegations made during the run-up to recent polls that the RM4.6bil was squandered.

“This is not to judge anyone. That’s not my motive.

“What’s important is that we are responsible for informing the public,” he said during the launch of the Routes KL 2008 campaign yesterday, which will culminate in the meeting of 2,500 international delegates from 300 airlines and 600 airports here in October to explore new airline routes.

The ministry also hoped to explain why the project was initiated, whether there would be any economic impact and the extent of the impact, he said.

Ong said that the ministry would also keep the public updated about the project status.

The response from entrepreneurs towards the project was still poor and the management has to look into the root cause and come up with plans to attract entrepreneurs to move to PKFZ, he said.

“I choose to address the issue in such a manner not because I am pressured to do so but I want to do it proactively to uphold transparency,” he said.

The cost of the PKFZ project was said to have ballooned from RM1.845bil to RM4.632bil by the time the project was completed in four years.

Late last year, then Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang claimed that the country had suffered huge losses over the project, saying that the minister had failed to provide answers in Parliament. more...