Malaysia
Kit Siang calls for Attorney-General’s resignation


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang wants Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to resign for failing to take action against former Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy for criminal breach of trust.
Lim also called for a royal commission of inquiry to further investigate the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) findings as well as to investigate why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Attorney-General and other key institutions had failed address the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
The PAC has recommended that former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang be investigated for criminal breach of trust in the PKFZ scandal.
It also recommended investigations into the role of other government officials serving in PKA when the project was being developed.
The report also confirmed that RM645.87 million would have been saved if the PKFZ land had been acquired under the Land Acquisition Act 1960, for then it would have cost only RM442.13 million and not RM1.088 billion before interest.
Based on the verbatim report of the PAC, the MACC Director of Investigations Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull acknowledged that MACC already knew of the three letters of support.
Lim questioned the purpose of PAC recommending that MACC further investigate Chan when the commission had already investigated and cleared the former transport minister from committing a breach of trust in unlawfully issuing the three letters of support.
“The Attorney-General in his submission before the PAC reiterated that as far the Attorney-General's Chambers was concerned the letters of support are implicit guarantees committing the government. The question is not that the facts have been revealed the first time, the facts have been here all along.
"So what is the purpose of PAC making a recommendation to MACC when they have investigated and have made no arrests?” he explained at a press conference in Parliament.
Lim wanted to know why Gani had failed to take any action against Chan when he had appeared before the PAC to reiterate that Chan had unlawfully given an implicit government guarantee in the three letters of support which he had no power to give as transport minister.
He also urged action be taken by the government and requested that the Parliament should have a special debate on the PAC report on the PKFZ scandal.