Source: Malaysiakini
| Kuek Ser Kuang Keng 5:07PM Dec 5, 2011 |
Teh (left), an MCA politician who took over the helm of PKA, the statutory body governing PKFZ, accused the senior officer of making at least RM18,000 in “under-table money” every month from his cronies, over the past five years .He said the officer has been overseeing the PKFZ tender board and granting tenders to his proxies at higher prices.
“He earns a monthly salary of RM6,000 to RM7,000, but owns a big bungalow and drives a Mercedes Benz,” Teh told Malaysiakini when asked about the corruption allegations against him.
Recently, several media organisations received an anonymous email saying Teh had breached the tender procedures in granting landscaping and housekeeping work to two unqualified companies.
The companies were said to have been formed this year, and allegedly had no experience in landscaping and housekeeping and had been absent during the site visit, which is a tender condition.
Other allegations include that the companies belong to the same owner, who has close relationship with Teh, and the tender prices offered were too low to allow for decent work to be carried out.
Teh, who is now overseas, vehemently denied the allegations and stressed that his decision to grant the tenders had significantly reduced PKFZ’s costs.
“I’m very clean, I’m a big time businessman, why do I want this kacang putih (peanut) thing?
“How can he accuse me of corruption when I made a decision that saves PKFZ RM1.2 million every year?”
Teh admitted that the owners of the two companies were his friends. As a former Pandaraman state assemblyperson whose constituency includes the area where PKFZ operates, he added, he knew many local people there.
‘They are all local people’
“They are all local people. The price they tendered is so much lower than his (the senior officer’s) proxies and cronies… (I gave the tender) as long as they can do the job at a low price. I don’t have any personal interest in the companies.
“I won’t get myself involved with any corruption. There had been a scandal before, so I don’t want to to be involved in any scandal,” Teh said, stressing that he could show this reporter all the relevant documents to prove his words.
Teh also said that a special board meeting would be called next Monday to discuss the action to be taken against the senior officer over the alleged bribery and for making false allegations against him.
PKFZ made headlines in 2007 when it was reported that the cost of the mega project could balloon to RM7.5 billion, and eventually to RM12.5 billion.
An investigation into the scandal was launched when the then MCA president, Ong Tee Keat, took over the Transport Ministry in 2008, which led to charges being brought against several key personnel, including former PKFZ general managers and two former transport ministers. The trials are still going on.
Charles Santiago 
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