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By ROYCE CHEAH (STAR) PETALING JAYA: Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat refuses to be put under duress by anyone in relation to when he would reveal how the RM4.6bil soft loan to the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) was spent.
"When I pledged to keep the public informed, I did it voluntarily. We all want to see PKFZ moving forward. "I stand to be guided but I will not be put under duress. It will be at my own pace," he said. Ong said he was mindful of the pressure coming from the Opposition and what Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang had been saying even up till Wednesday when Lim posed five questions about the PKFZ issue for Ong to answer. Ong said Lim calling the PKFZ a scandal or a white elephant was equal to passing judgment on it without evidence and that Lim was taking the moral high ground by only criticising but not doing anything about the issue. "He is entitled to his say but as a taxpayer I would be keen to know what he has been doing other than raising concerns. "If it is in public interest - he should have lodged complaints or reports with the Anti-Corruption Agency and the police. Lim owes the public an explanation." Ong added that it appeared as if Lim wanted the best of both worlds - with Lim reaching his own conclusion about the PKFZ while also asking for the ministry to explain. He said his ministry would not interfere and that Lim had the liberty to try and prove that the PKFZ was really a scandal. "When I said we are open about things, I really mean it." Ong gave the example of PKFZ inviting both Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and state executive councillor Teresa Kok on separate occasions. "Khalid pledged that the state was keen to takeover - yet no proposal has been submitted - while Teresa said she wanted to bring in Chinese investors - I am still waiting." On Monday, Ong had said that he would reveal to the public the true situation of the PKFZ with regards to how the money was spent.
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