Liong Sik mula bela diri dalam perbicaraan kes PKFZ
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Peguam Wong Kian Kheong berkata demikian dalam hujahan pembukaan pembelaan diri Dr Ling, 68, di hadapan Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi hari ini.
Wong berkata pada semua masa yang material, Dr Ling telah mengarahkan pegawai di Kementerian Pengangkutan (MOT) dan Lembaga Pelabuhan Klang (PKA) untuk mematuhi penilaian Jabatan Penilaian dn Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH) berhubung perolehan tanah sama ada dengan cara pemerolehan wajib atau pembelian langsung.
Beliau berkata dua surat daripada Dr Liong kepada bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad bertarikh 3 April dan 29 Jun 2002 serta nota MOT kepada Kabinet disediakan oleh pegawai MOT.
"Dr Ling bertindak selaras dengan syor dan nasihat pegawai MOT. Dr Ling pada bila-bila masa tidak mengarahkan atau meminta pegawai MOT untuk menyembunyikan, memberi gambaran yang salah dan mengelirukan apa-apa fakta dalam persediaan dua pucuk surat kepada Tun Mahathir dan dua nota ringkasan bertarikh 29 Oktober 2002 daripada Dr Ling berkenaan pengambilan balik tanah di Pulau Indah.
"Tiada siapa memberitahu Dr Ling bahawa surat berkenaan, memorandum atau apa-apa bentuk dokumentasi adalah silap, cacat atau tidak tepat dalam apa jua cara," katanya pada hari pertama kes pembelaan itu.
Wong juga berkata cara pengiraan harga tanah dan kaedah pembelian yang diguna pakai adalah sangat teknikal.
"Pengiraan tersebut melibatkan kupon atau kadar faedah kadar sasaran aliran tunai diskaun (DCF), penerbitan bon, tiada pembayaran faedah untuk satu tempoh tertentu, faedah terakru dan nota janji hutang... ia sesuatu yang orang biasa tidak akan mampu memahami dengan mudah," katanya.
Wong berkata pegawai kanan dari MOT, PKA dan Kementerian Kewangan (MOF) keliru dengan sifat yang sangat teknikal bagi skim pembiayaan tanah tersebut.
Manakala surat pegawai JPPH bertarikh 29 September 2000 kepada MOT memberikan tanah tersebut nilai istimewa RM21 setiap kaki persegi (skp) dan tidak sampai tiga hari kemudian pada 2 Oktober 2000, bekas ketua penolong setiausaha Bahagian Maritim di MOT menulis surat kepada Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) dengan menyatakan nilai istimewa tanah berkenaan sebagai RM25 skp, katanya.
"Pihak pembelaan akan menunjukkan bahawa majoriti surat pada ketika itu, memo dan minit mesyuarat merujuk kepada nilai istimewa tanah sebanyak RM25 skp. Tiada pembetulan dilakukan oleh MOT, PKA, MOF atau Unit Perancang Ekonomi (EPU) yang menyebut bahawa RM25 skp itu bukan nilai istimewa sehingga Di Ling didakwa," katanya.
Wong berkata hanya satu nilai istimewa tanah berkenaan iaitu RM21 skp dan pihak pembelaan akan menunjukkan bahawa RM25 skp dalam surat pegawai JPPH kepada MOT adalah 'nilai muka' bon seperti dikira oleh JPPH dengan mengecualikan enam peratus kupon atau kadar faedah.
Peguam itu berkata MOF mempunyai pengetahuan penuh penilaian yang diberikan oleh JPPH tanah berkenaan kerana semua penilaian berhubung tanah, sama ada pemerolehan wajib atau pembelian langsung, disediakan oleh JPPH iaitu sebuah jabatan teknikal di bawah MOF.
Beliau juga berkata pada setiap masa material, MOF telah terlibat secara aktif dalam rundingan dengan KDSB berhubung dengan perolehan tanah sama ada di peringkat MOF atau PKA.
"Kabinet mengambil kira faktor lain sebelum membuat keputusan membeli tanah daripada KDSB. Dalam erti kata lain, penilaian JPPH bukan alasan tunggal atau tegas mengapa Kabinet memutuskan untuk memberi kelulusan dengan pembelian tanah oleh PKA.
"Dr Ling tidak memihak atau bertindak sebagai jurucakap KDSB pada bila-bila masa. Beliau tidak pernah atau mempunyai apa-apa urusan dengan KDSB dan mana-mana pengarah atau pekerja KDSB," katanya.
Dr Ling memegang jawatan menteri pengangkutan selama 17 tahun dari 1986.
Beliau tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan negeri 7324 Lot 67894 yang berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000 sedangkan beliau tahu JPPH, dalam menentukan nilai kadar RM25 skp, telah mengambil kira kadar kupon/faedah.
Dr Ling juga didakwa atas dua pertuduhan pilihan (pindaan) iaitu menipu dan sengaja tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah kadar faedah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan 7324 Lot 67894 berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000.
Dia didakwa melakukan semua kesalahan itu di tingkat 4, pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya antara 25 Sept dan 6 November 2002.
Bagi pertuduhan pertama, Dr Ling didakwa mengikut Seksyen 418 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum tujuh tahun dengan denda atau kedua-duanya.
Manakala bagi dua pertuduhan pilihan (pindaan), beliau didakwa mengikut Seksyen 417 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara lima tahun atau dengan denda atau kedua-duanya.
Wong juga berkata Dr Ling telah dinafikan perbicaraan adil dan hak perlembagaannya di bawah Perkara 5(1) dan 8(1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah dicabuli.
"Dakwaan berkenaan peristiwa yang berlaku antara 1999 hingga 2002. Dr Ling berundur sebagai menteri pada Mei 2003. Dokumen rasmi berkaitan projek PKFZ diklasifikasikan di bawah Akta Rahsia Rasmi 1972 dan Dr Ling tidak mempunyai sebarang dokumen selepas persaraannya.
"Dr Ling tidak mempunyai akses kepada rekod melainkan daripada apa yang disediakan oleh pihak pendakwaan untuk tujuan menyediakan pembelaannya. Pada keadaan pembelaan Dr Ling telah prejudis secara serius.
"Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Awam mendedahkan beberapa penemuan buruk terhadai pelbagai individu dalam MOT dan PKA (bukan terhadap Dr Ling) berkaitan dengan pembelian tahan itu. Pendedahan buruk seperti itu oleh siasatan awam adalah jelas merupakan penghalang kepada perbicaraan yang adil," katanya.
Perbicaraan disambung Isnin ini.
- Bernama
Dr Ling lupa bawa kad pengenalan ke mahkamah
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Bekas
Menteri Pengangkutan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, yang diperintah membela
diri dalam kes melibatkan projek Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Klang (PKFZ) di
Mahkamah Tinggi di sini, terlupa membawa kad pengenalannya.
Beliau yang merupakan saksi utama hanya menyedari ketiadaan dokumen itu ketika diminta menyerahkannya kepada jurubahasa mahkamah sebelum mengangkat ikrar untuk memberi keterangan.
Pada mulanya, Dr Ling memberi isyarat kepada isterinya, Toh Puan Ena Ling dan dua anak lelaki mereka, Hee Liong dan Hee Keat bagi menanyakan perkara itu tetapi semua menyatakan tidak membawa dokumen tersebut.
Dr Ling, yang pernah berkhidmat selama 17 tahun bersama kerajaan, bagaimanapun dibenar memberi keterangan atas budi bicara Hakim Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi.
Pada kebiasaannya, setiap saksi yang memberi keterangan perlu menyerahkan kad pengenalan masing-masing untuk merekod data peribadi seperti nama penuh dan alamat tetap.
Sementara itu, dalam prosiding hari ini, Dr Ling berkata bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad selalu membantu beliau dan bertanya kepada anggota kabinet sama ada mereka mempunyai sebarang komen atau idea sebelum membuat sesuatu keputusan.
Dr Ling berkata beliau memaklumkan Dr Mahathir berhubung projek PKFZ bagi mendapatkan bantuan kewangan dan sokongan daripada kerajaan.
"Saya beritahu Tun Dr Mahathir kerana jika beliau berminat, kabinet juga akan berminat," katanya ketika menjawab soalan peguam Wong Kian Kheong.
Beliau berkata Tun Dr Mathathir juga dimaklumkan bahawa untuk melaksanakan projek itu, Kementerian Pengangkutan memerlukan tanah seluas 332 hektar (830 ekar) di Pulau Indah.
Katanya, pada setiap masa yang material, tidak seorangpun pegawai di kementerian itu dimaklumkan bahawa memo bekas Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Perancangan) Kementerian Pengangkutan Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor bertarikh 18 Mei 1999 (berhubung perbincangan cadangan pembelian tanah di Pulau Indah) adalah salah dan harga bagi nilai tanah itu bukan RM25 sekaki persegi (skp).
Dr Ling juga berkata beliau tidak mengeluarkan sebarang memo kerana tugas itu dilakukan pegawainya.
Terdahulu, beliau berkata idea untuk membangunkan projek itu timbul selepas melawat Zon Bebas Antarabangsa Jebel Ali di Dubai dan berpendapat ia mampu mempertingkat ekonomi negara.
Dr Ling, 68, dibicarakan atas pertuduhan menipu kerajaan Malaysia dengan tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan pembelian tanah seluas 335.8 hektar milik Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) di Pulau Indah, Klang bagi projek PKFZ, membabitkan RM1.08 bilion.
Beliau didakwa melakukan perbuatan itu antara 25 September 2002 dan 6 November 2002 di Tingkat 4, Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya.
Perbicaraan bersambung Isnin.
Beliau yang merupakan saksi utama hanya menyedari ketiadaan dokumen itu ketika diminta menyerahkannya kepada jurubahasa mahkamah sebelum mengangkat ikrar untuk memberi keterangan.
Pada mulanya, Dr Ling memberi isyarat kepada isterinya, Toh Puan Ena Ling dan dua anak lelaki mereka, Hee Liong dan Hee Keat bagi menanyakan perkara itu tetapi semua menyatakan tidak membawa dokumen tersebut.
Dr Ling, yang pernah berkhidmat selama 17 tahun bersama kerajaan, bagaimanapun dibenar memberi keterangan atas budi bicara Hakim Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi.
Pada kebiasaannya, setiap saksi yang memberi keterangan perlu menyerahkan kad pengenalan masing-masing untuk merekod data peribadi seperti nama penuh dan alamat tetap.
Sementara itu, dalam prosiding hari ini, Dr Ling berkata bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad selalu membantu beliau dan bertanya kepada anggota kabinet sama ada mereka mempunyai sebarang komen atau idea sebelum membuat sesuatu keputusan.
Dr Ling berkata beliau memaklumkan Dr Mahathir berhubung projek PKFZ bagi mendapatkan bantuan kewangan dan sokongan daripada kerajaan.
"Saya beritahu Tun Dr Mahathir kerana jika beliau berminat, kabinet juga akan berminat," katanya ketika menjawab soalan peguam Wong Kian Kheong.
Beliau berkata Tun Dr Mathathir juga dimaklumkan bahawa untuk melaksanakan projek itu, Kementerian Pengangkutan memerlukan tanah seluas 332 hektar (830 ekar) di Pulau Indah.
Katanya, pada setiap masa yang material, tidak seorangpun pegawai di kementerian itu dimaklumkan bahawa memo bekas Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha (Perancangan) Kementerian Pengangkutan Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor bertarikh 18 Mei 1999 (berhubung perbincangan cadangan pembelian tanah di Pulau Indah) adalah salah dan harga bagi nilai tanah itu bukan RM25 sekaki persegi (skp).
Dr Ling juga berkata beliau tidak mengeluarkan sebarang memo kerana tugas itu dilakukan pegawainya.
Terdahulu, beliau berkata idea untuk membangunkan projek itu timbul selepas melawat Zon Bebas Antarabangsa Jebel Ali di Dubai dan berpendapat ia mampu mempertingkat ekonomi negara.
Dr Ling, 68, dibicarakan atas pertuduhan menipu kerajaan Malaysia dengan tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan pembelian tanah seluas 335.8 hektar milik Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) di Pulau Indah, Klang bagi projek PKFZ, membabitkan RM1.08 bilion.
Beliau didakwa melakukan perbuatan itu antara 25 September 2002 dan 6 November 2002 di Tingkat 4, Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya.
Perbicaraan bersambung Isnin.
- Bernama http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/203508
Mahkamah: Dr Ling nafi terima bayaran dari KDSB
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Bekas
Menteri Pengangkutan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik hari ini menyatakan bahawa
beliau tidak pernah menerima sebarang pembayaran daripada syarikat Kuala
Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) berhubung projek Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Klang
(PKFZ).
Dr Ling, 68 yang memberi keterangan bagi membela dirinya di Mahkamah Tinggi di sini turut menyatakan bahawa beliau tidak pernah mengadakan sebarang rundingan dengan syarikat tersebut.
Katanya sejak projek itu dicadangkan, segala urusan berkaitan projek PKFZ adalah di bawah tanggungjawap pegawai kanannya iaitu bekas Ketua Setiausaha Datuk Zaharah Shaari, bekas Timbalan KSU Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor dan bekas Ketua Penolong Setiausaha Bahagian Maritim P.Chandrasekaran.
Dr Ling berkata kesemua mereka akan memberi cadangan, nasihat dan menyediakan minit mesyuarat.
Ketika ditanya mengenai surat yang dihantarnya kepada bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pada 3 April 2002, Dr Ling berkata ia ditulis bagi tujuan mempercepatkan perolehan tanah seluas 1,000 ekar (kira-kira 400 hektar)dan cadangan pembelian tanah secara terus daripada KDSB.
Dr Ling berkata kesemua maklumat kadar harga tanah yang dinyatakan di dalam surat berkenaan adalah berdasarkan cadangan pegawai kanan di kementeriannya yang telah merujuk kepada Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH).
Berdasarkan rekod mahkamah, surat kepada Dr Mahathir itu ada manyatakan bahawa kos keseluruhan pembelian tanah seluas 1,000 ekar berasaskan harga RM25 sekaki persegi (skp) adalah sebanyak RM1,088 bilion (termasuk kos infrastruktur asas) dan kos pembangunan tanah dianggarkan sebanyak RM869 juta menjadikan keseluruhan kos projek termasuk faedah RM2.44 billion.
Ling yang merupakan saksi pertama pembelaan turut memberitahu bahawa tiada sebarang memo atau surat susulan yang dihantar kepadanya untuk menyatakan maklumat di dalam surat itu (kepada Dr Mahathir) adalah salah.
"Selepas surat itu dihantar kepada Dr Mahathir, tiada sebarang surat dihantar kepada saya yang menyatakan ia salah ataupun mengelirukan," katanya ketika pemeriksaan utama oleh peguam Wong Kian Kheong yang mewakilinya.
Sementara itu bagi satu lagi surat yang turut dihantar kepada Dr Mahathir bertarikh 29 Jun 2002, Dr Ling berkata pegawainya juga tidak memaklumkan wujudnya kesilapan pada surat tersebut sehingga kini.
Dr Ling berkata surat itu tidak mungkin akan dihantar kepada Dr Mahathir jika beliau mengetahui terdapat butiran yang salah.
Surat yang ditandatangani olehnya sendiri itu menyatakan tentang cadangan pengambilan balik tanah dan ketika ditanya adakah mempunyai pengetahuan peribadi terhadap surat itu, Dr Ling berkata "Saya tidak tahu kerana saya mempunyai banyak portfolio lain di kementerian untuk diselia."
Dr Ling, didakwa menipu Kerajaan Malaysia apabila tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan negeri 7324 Lot 67894 yang berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000 sedangkan beliau tahu JPPH, dalam menentukan nilai kadar RM25 skp, telah mengambil kira kadar kupon/faedah.
Beliau juga didakwa atas dua pertuduhan pilihan (pindaan) iaitu menipu dan sengaja tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah kadar faedah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan 7324 Lot 67894 berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000.
Dr Ling didakwa melakukan semua kesalahan itu di tingkat 4, Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya antara 25 Sept dan 6 Nov 2002.
Ditanya mengenai surat daripada KDSB kepada Abdul Rahman bertarikh 5 Oktober 2000 yang menyatakan pihak KDSB menerima tawaran harga tanah RM25 skp, Dr Ling berkata :"Tidak tahu mengenai surat itu."
Katanya, dalam membuat penilaian harga tanah, pihaknya sentiasa mengikut garis panduan yang ditentukan JPPH dan tiada seorangpun daripada pegawainya memaklumkan bahawa harga nilaian RM25skp adalah salah.
Perbicaraan di depan Hakim Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi bersambung esok.
Dr Ling, 68 yang memberi keterangan bagi membela dirinya di Mahkamah Tinggi di sini turut menyatakan bahawa beliau tidak pernah mengadakan sebarang rundingan dengan syarikat tersebut.
Katanya sejak projek itu dicadangkan, segala urusan berkaitan projek PKFZ adalah di bawah tanggungjawap pegawai kanannya iaitu bekas Ketua Setiausaha Datuk Zaharah Shaari, bekas Timbalan KSU Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor dan bekas Ketua Penolong Setiausaha Bahagian Maritim P.Chandrasekaran.
Dr Ling berkata kesemua mereka akan memberi cadangan, nasihat dan menyediakan minit mesyuarat.
Ketika ditanya mengenai surat yang dihantarnya kepada bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pada 3 April 2002, Dr Ling berkata ia ditulis bagi tujuan mempercepatkan perolehan tanah seluas 1,000 ekar (kira-kira 400 hektar)dan cadangan pembelian tanah secara terus daripada KDSB.
Dr Ling berkata kesemua maklumat kadar harga tanah yang dinyatakan di dalam surat berkenaan adalah berdasarkan cadangan pegawai kanan di kementeriannya yang telah merujuk kepada Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH).
Berdasarkan rekod mahkamah, surat kepada Dr Mahathir itu ada manyatakan bahawa kos keseluruhan pembelian tanah seluas 1,000 ekar berasaskan harga RM25 sekaki persegi (skp) adalah sebanyak RM1,088 bilion (termasuk kos infrastruktur asas) dan kos pembangunan tanah dianggarkan sebanyak RM869 juta menjadikan keseluruhan kos projek termasuk faedah RM2.44 billion.
Ling yang merupakan saksi pertama pembelaan turut memberitahu bahawa tiada sebarang memo atau surat susulan yang dihantar kepadanya untuk menyatakan maklumat di dalam surat itu (kepada Dr Mahathir) adalah salah.
"Selepas surat itu dihantar kepada Dr Mahathir, tiada sebarang surat dihantar kepada saya yang menyatakan ia salah ataupun mengelirukan," katanya ketika pemeriksaan utama oleh peguam Wong Kian Kheong yang mewakilinya.
Sementara itu bagi satu lagi surat yang turut dihantar kepada Dr Mahathir bertarikh 29 Jun 2002, Dr Ling berkata pegawainya juga tidak memaklumkan wujudnya kesilapan pada surat tersebut sehingga kini.
Dr Ling berkata surat itu tidak mungkin akan dihantar kepada Dr Mahathir jika beliau mengetahui terdapat butiran yang salah.
Surat yang ditandatangani olehnya sendiri itu menyatakan tentang cadangan pengambilan balik tanah dan ketika ditanya adakah mempunyai pengetahuan peribadi terhadap surat itu, Dr Ling berkata "Saya tidak tahu kerana saya mempunyai banyak portfolio lain di kementerian untuk diselia."
Dr Ling, didakwa menipu Kerajaan Malaysia apabila tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan negeri 7324 Lot 67894 yang berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000 sedangkan beliau tahu JPPH, dalam menentukan nilai kadar RM25 skp, telah mengambil kira kadar kupon/faedah.
Beliau juga didakwa atas dua pertuduhan pilihan (pindaan) iaitu menipu dan sengaja tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah kadar faedah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan 7324 Lot 67894 berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000.
Dr Ling didakwa melakukan semua kesalahan itu di tingkat 4, Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya antara 25 Sept dan 6 Nov 2002.
Ditanya mengenai surat daripada KDSB kepada Abdul Rahman bertarikh 5 Oktober 2000 yang menyatakan pihak KDSB menerima tawaran harga tanah RM25 skp, Dr Ling berkata :"Tidak tahu mengenai surat itu."
Katanya, dalam membuat penilaian harga tanah, pihaknya sentiasa mengikut garis panduan yang ditentukan JPPH dan tiada seorangpun daripada pegawainya memaklumkan bahawa harga nilaian RM25skp adalah salah.
Perbicaraan di depan Hakim Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi bersambung esok.
- Bernama
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/203811
Liong Sik: Letter to Dr M contained ‘lies’
UPDATED
@ 06:02:26 PM 16-07-2012
July 16, 2012
Dr Ling (right) said he would not have sent the letter to Dr Mahathir if he had known of the meeting minutes. — File pic
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 16 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik revealed today that he had
unknowingly signed a letter containing “lies” to former prime minister
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2002 regarding the government’s purchase of
land for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.
But the former transport minister, while defending himself from the
witness stand today, said he had been shocked upon discovering the
“lies” and insisted that he neither prepared the letter nor was aware
that it contained misleading information.
“I would have either corrected it or not sent it out,” he told the
court during the examination-in-chief by his lawyer Wong Kian Kheong
this afternoon.
According to the letter, read out by Wong to the court today, Dr Ling
had written to inform the then-PM, Dr Mahathir, that Kuala Dimensi Sdn
Bhd (KDSB), the turnkey developer for PKFZ, had agreed to sell 999.5
acres of land on a “willing buyer, willing seller” basis for RM25 psf
and 7.5 per cent interest or a total rate of RM1.088 billion for the
multibillion ringgit project.
In the letter signed by Dr Ling on June 29, 2002, it was said that
this agreement with KDSB would bring “benefits and profits” to the
government.
But Dr Ling said those words were “lies” as, according to the minutes
of KDSB’s meeting with officials from his ministry on April 17 the same
year, the negotiation had not gone as well as claimed.
He pointed out that he had not attended the April meeting, adding
that if he had, he would not have sent out such a letter to Dr Mahathir.
“I would say this is a shocking letter... because in this (the
meeting minutes), the meeting never even took off. They were accusing
each other of corruption.
“How could I then tell the PM that this (negotiation) would [bring]
benefits (to the government)? Based on the minutes, this letter becomes a
lie,” a frustrated-looking Dr Ling told the High Court.
“I don’t have that kind of audacity to tell the PM a lie, in the face
of this revelation,” he said, again referring to the meeting minutes.
Wong then pointed out to the courtroom that among those from the
Transport Ministry who had attended the April meeting with KDSB were
then ministry secretary-general Datuk Zaharaah Shaari, ministry deputy
secretary-general (planning) Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor, and then
principal assistant secretary in the maritime division in charge of sea
ports P. Chandrasekaran.
All three individuals had testified last year as the prosecution’s witnesses.
“Were they among the officials who prepared P24 (the letter to Dr Mahathir) and the two annexures?” Wong asked.
“I should think so, because they were the senior officers attached to
this project for a long time,” Dr Ling answered, adding that until
today, none of the officials has informed him that the letter had
contained misleading information.
“When you signed P24 and sent it to the PM, did you have any intention to cheat, deceive or mislead the PM,” Wong continued.
Visibly taken aback, Dr Ling replied, “Obviously not.”
“In the first place, for me to write this letter in the light of any
possibility of that meeting on April 17 being found out, would be
disastrous... because here I am describing how it would bring benefit
and that is an absolute lie,” he said.
The former MCA president is facing the possibility of a seven-year
jail term, or fine, or both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into
approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project,
which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into
believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent
interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property
Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such
agreement.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/liong-sik-letter-to-dr-m-contained-lies/
Liong Sik: I did not receive gratification from KDSB for PKFZ land
UPDATED
@ 06:50:30 PM 16-07-2012
July 16, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik told the High
Court today that he did not received any gratification from Kuala
Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) in exchange for the government’s purchase of
999.5 acres of land from the turnkey developer for the Port Klang Free
Zone (PKFZ).
“No, no, no. Absolutely no,” the former transport minister said when
questioned by his lawyer Wong Kian Kheong during examination-in-chief
this morning.
Pressing further, Wong then asked Dr Ling (picture) if he had at any time “bent over backwards” for KDSB for dealings related to the multibillion ringgit PKFZ.
“How to do such things?” Dr Ling retorted. “No, no.”
He said that “until now”, he has no dealings or contracts with KDSB’s directors or shareholders.
The land purchase, he added, had been on the recommendation from his
senior officials in the Transport Ministry, which he had served for 17
years until 2003.
The former MCA president was testifying from the witness stand for
the second day in his cheating trial, which kicked off in July last
year.
He is facing the possibility of a seven-year jail term, or fine, or
both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of
999.5 acres for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses
for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into
believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf and 7.5 per cent
interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property
Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such
agreement.
But Dr Ling insisted today that all decisions made from his desk as
transport minister at the time had been consistent with JPPH’s
valuation.
“Because we do not have any valuation department in the ministry,
only that of the Finance Ministry’s,” he said, adding that he had never
instructed his officials to contradict the recommendations on land price
made by the department.
Dr Ling added that following several cross-negotiations among various
authorities over the sale of the land in question, the Cabinet then had
discussed the apparent delay of the project and asked that it be sped
up.
He said that after a meeting among officials from his ministry, the
Finance Ministry, JPPH and the Selangor state authorities on January 26,
2002, no one had informed him that the Port Klang Authority’s (PKA)
proposed purchase of the land at RM25 psf was not the “special value”
recommended by JPPH.
“Did any officer from these four entities inform you that the
presentation by PKA (during the meeting), that the terms and conditions
of the sale, was improper?” Wong asked his client.
“No,” Dr Ling replied.
He said that no officials from JPPH had voiced objection to the sale,
and insisted that he had not known that PKA had not complied with the
department’s valuation.
“I was not told of any deviation from JPPH’s valuation. I repeatedly
told them: JPPH, JPPH, JPPH. I expected them to follow it,” he said.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi continues tomorrow.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/liong-sik-i-did-not-receive-gratification-from-kdsb-for-pkfz-land/
Menurut surat tersebut, yang dibaca oleh Wong di mahkamah hari ini, Dr Ling (gambar) menulis untuk memberitahu Dr Mahathir bahawa Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), syarikat pemaju PKFZ telah bersetuju untuk menjual tanah seluas 999.5 ekar itu atas dasar harga pasaran bebas dengan harga RM25 sekaki persegi dan 7.5 peratus faedah atau keseluruhan bayaran itu dengan harga RM1.088 billion untuk projek tersebut.
Surat itu ditandatangani Ling pada 29 Jun, 2002 berkata persetujuan dengan KDSB akan membawa “keuntungan dan faedah” kepada kerajaan.
Tetapi Dr Ling berkata terdapat penipuan dalam surat tersebut, antaranya mengikut minit mesyuarat antara KDSB dengan kementeriannya pada 17 April tahun yang sama, bahawa perbincangan itu tidak seperti apa yang diberitahu.
Beliau memberitahu bahawa tidak menghadiri mesyuarat itu, sambil berkata jika dia hadir, dia tidak akan menghantar surat itu kepada Dr Mahathir.
“Surat ini sungguh mengejutkan, kerana berdasarkan surat (minit mesyuarat), perjumpaan itu langsung tidak berjaya. Mereka menuduh antara sendiri mengenai kewujudan rasuah.
“Bagaimana saya boleh beritahu PM bahawa ini boleh menguntungkan kerajaan?
“Berdasarkan minit mesyuarat ini, surat ini mengandungi penipuan,” katanya dengan nada kecewa kepada Mahkamah Tinggi.
“Saya tidak begitu berani untuk berbohong kepada Perdana Menteri, lebih-lebih lagi dengan penemuan ini,” katanya lagi tentang minit mesyuarat itu.
Wong kemudian memberitahu mahkamah bahawa Kementerian Pengangkutan pada ketika itu diwakili oleh Setiausaha Umumnya Datuk Zaharaah Shaari, Timbalan Setiausaha Umum Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor, dan bekas penolong setiausaha bagi pengurusan pelabuhan P. Chandrasakeran.
Mereka bertiga adalah saksi pendakwa yang telah disoal pada tahun lalu.
“Adakah mereka para pegawai yang menyediakan P24 (surat untuk PM) berserta dua lampiran?” tanya Wong.
“Saya rasa, ya. Sebab mereka pegawai yang telah lama menguruskan projek ini,” jawab Dr Ling.
“Ketika kamu menandatangani P24 itu, adakah kamu berhasrat untuk menipu atau mengelirukan PM?” tanya Wong lagi.
“Sudah tentu tidak,” jawab Dr Ling.
“Pada mulanya, untuk saya menulis surat ini dengan merujuk kepada mesyuarat 17 April itu akan memusnahkan saya, sebab saya mengatakan ia projek yang menguntungkan sedangkan itu adalah penipuan,” jawab Ling lagi.
Bekas Presiden MCA ini boleh dikenakan penjara tujuh tahun, atau denda, atau kedua-duanya sekali jika didapati bersalah menipu Kabinet dalam pembelian 999.5 ekar tanah untuk projek PKFZ, yang menyebabkan kerugian kepada kerajaan.
Dia juga berhadapan dengan tuduhan berlainan kerana menipu Kabinet bahawa terma pembelian RM25 sekaki persegi dan 7.5 peratus kadar faedah telah dipersetujui oleh Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH) walaupun menyedari bahawa tidak sebarang persetujuan begitu.
urchase for the scandal-ridden PKFZ.
— file pic
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 17 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik claimed ignorance today over
the accuracy of the negotiated price of land purchased for the Port
Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, saying he had relied heavily on his
senior officers to handle the deal with Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB).
The former transport minister pointed out to the High Court today that all financial matters relating to the land purchase had been handled by the Finance Ministry, through its various departments, such as the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) and the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).
“The [land] valuation is the prerogative of the Treasury, the EPU and the JPPH... we (transport ministry) only announced that we wanted the land,” he said today, his third day in the witness stand since last Friday.
He noted that since Cabinet, then presided by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had agreed on November 6, 2002, to purchase the 999.5-acre plot of land from KDSB at RM25 psf, no one had accused him of deceiving the government before he was slapped with court charges last year.
The former MCA president is on trial for knowingly deceiving the Cabinet in 2002 into approving the land purchase for the scandal-ridden PKFZ, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
Dr Ling also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf and 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the JPPH despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
The retired politician pointed out to the court today that prior to the November 6 decision to go ahead with the land buy, he had not objected when Cabinet decided on October 9, 2002 to defer the proposed purchase to consider the possibility of compulsory acquisition pending the Attorney-General Chamber’s (AGC) opinion on the legality of the matter.
“No, I did not [object] because I thought it was wise to hear what the AGC had to say so that we would not get stopped by legal points halfway,” he told the court during today’s examination-in-chief by his counsel Wong Kian Kheong.
According to Cabinet meeting minutes dated October 23 that were tendered to the court as evidence during the prosecution stage of the trial, the Finance Ministry had in a memorandum to Cabinet recommended compulsory acquisition of the land under section 3(1)(a) of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 using the RM10.16 psf rate stipulated by JPPH on an “as is” basis.
The recommendation was based on the AGC’s findings that the land in question had come attached with too many encumbrances and caveats, and would become a burden to the government.
“You attended this meeting... did you give any objection to the compulsory acquisition of the land?” Wong asked Dr Ling.
“No,” the former minister replied. “The ministry’s (transport ministry) intention was to get the land. Because land near ports should be used for port purposes.”
Dr Ling noted that following the meeting, his ministry was tasked to look into the encumbrances attached to the land, as identified by the AGC and the Finance Ministry’s memorandum.
He acknowledged that the note to Cabinet was subsequently prepared by his senior officials, including then ministry secretary-general Datuk Zaharaah Shaari, ministry deputy secretary-general (planning) Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor, and then principal assistant secretary P. Chandrasekaran.
In the note, Dr Ling’s ministry had recommended that the Cabinet stick to its original decision on October 2, 2002, to purchase the land based on the negotiated terms with KDSB, claiming that the Finance Ministry’s memorandum had included “incomplete facts”.
According to Cabinet meeting minutes dated November 6, the government took consideration of the ministry’s note and agreed to the land purchase, as originally proposed.
“Tun [Dr Ling], was there any letter, further note or memorandum from the Finance Ministry saying that P73 or P74 (the ministry’s note) was incorrect or misleading?” Wong asked his client.
“No,” Dr Ling replied.
He added that by submitting the note to Cabinet on November 6, he had no intention to deceive the government or conceal anything and would have corrected any mistakes if he had been aware of them.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi continues tomorrow with the prosecution cross-examining Dr Ling.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/liong-sik-says-did-not-know-pkfz-land-price-was-wrong/
KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, the man currently in the centre of a high-profile trial on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, raised eyebrows in court today when he unexpectedly piped up to declare his innocence against charges of cheating the government.
The 69-year-old Dr Ling, who was at the witness stand this morning for the third time since last Friday, had raised his hands to address the court just after his counsel Wong Kian Kheong wrapped up examination-in-chief.
“Yang Arif, as my learned lawyer has said ... I personally believe that I have been wrongly charged,” he told Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi.
Visible surprised, Ahmadi pointed out to Dr Ling that such a matter was for his counsel Wong to prove during submissions.
But Dr Ling, unperturbed, went on determinedly, refusing to be interrupted.
“Yes ... but if Yang Arif has any more questions to ask (me),” he said, to giggles from the gallery.
Smiling, Ahmadi pointed out that the prosecution was likely to have many questions to put to him during cross-examination.
“You can stand down now,” he told Dr Ling.
The former MCA president is facing the possibility of a seven-year jail term, or fine, or both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
Earlier during examination-in-chief, the retired politician told the court that he would never “dare” deceive Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was prime minister at the time.
“No. I dare not. I wouldn’t have the audacity to tell lies to the PM, as I mentioned yesterday,” Dr Ling said.
He was responding to a question from Wong on whether he had intended to deceive Dr Mahathir when he signed off on two letters — one on April 3, 2002, and another on June 29 the same year — recommending the purchase of the land from turnkey developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) on willing buyer-willing seller basis, instead of through compulsory acquisition.
During his testimony yesterday, Dr Ling had admitted that the June 29 letter had contained “lies” although he had signed it but added that he had neither prepared the document nor was aware that it contained misleading information.
Dr Ling also repeatedly told the court today that he had at all times instructed his officials to follow the land valuation done by JPPH with respect to the price of land.
He said he had never urged the prime minister, Finance Ministry or any Cabinet minister against following the JPPH valuation, pointing out that the only authority on the subject in the government was the department.
“No, absolutely not,” he said, when questioned by Wong.
Dr Ling added that he had never understood the basis and the valuation of the land by JPPH as he has no qualification or training on the matter.
“No [I did not understand] because it is the first time I am hearing of ‘special value’ because to us, value is value,” he said.
He was addressing the multiple references to the RM25 psf rate used in correspondence between his ministry officials, the Port Klang Authority (PKA) and the Finance Ministry as the “special value” purportedly stipulated by the JPPH.
In the defence’s opening statement last Friday, Wong had pointed out that although the original ‘special value’ from the JPPH was RM21 psf, subsequent mentions of RM25 psf as the ‘special value’ were never corrected by the Finance Ministry, PKA, Transport Ministry or the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) until Dr Ling was charged.
“There is only one special value of the land which is RM21 psf and the defence will show that RM25 psf was the face value of the bonds as calculated by JPPH which excluded the six per cent coupon or interest rates,” he had told the court.
The trial continues tomorrow.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-was-wrongly-charged-liong-sik-tells-court/
Bekas
Menteri Pengangkutan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik yang didakwa menipu kerajaan
Malaysia hari ini memberi kenyataan berbeza ketika pemeriksaan balas
oleh pihak pendakwaan mengenai dokumen yang melibatkan projek Zon Bebas
Pelabuhan Klang (PKFZ).
Dr Ling, 68, yang memberi keterangan di Mahkamah Tinggi di ibunegara sebelum ini memberitahu bahawa beliau tidak pernah melihat beberapa dokumen, termasuk dua dokumen, yang disediakan oleh Kementerian Pengangkutan kepada jemaah menteri, tetapi ketika ditanya Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, beliau menyatakan pula 'tidak ingat'.
Dr Ling yang berkali-kali ditanya sama ada beliau mengubah jawapannya berkata beliau tidak ingat tentang jawapan yang diberikan ketika pemeriksaan utama oleh peguamnya Wong Kian Kheong semalam.
Selain dua dokumen kepada jemaah menteri, Dr Ling turut dirujuk dengan dokumen keputusan jemaah menteri pada 2 Oktober 2002 yang menyetujui kaedah "willing buyer-willing seller" (kesanggupan pembeli-kesanggupan penjual) dalam pembelian tanah pada nilaian RM25 sekaki persegi (skp) dan tempoh pembayaran balik
tertangguh selama 15 tahun.
Beliau memberi jawapan yang sama iaitu "tidak ingat" ketika soalan ditanya berhubung dokumen tersebut sedangkan semalam beliau menyatakan tidak pernah melihatnya sebelum didakwa di mahkamah.
Antara dokumen lain yang gagal diingatinya ialah sama ada pernah melihat atau tidak surat daripada bekas ketua pengarah Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH) Datuk Sahari Mahadi yang menyatakan nilaian harga tanah adalah sebanyak RM21 skp.
Ketika prosiding berkenaan dokumen itu, wujud pertengkaran kecil antara Tun Abdul Majid dengan Dr Ling apabila Dr Ling enggan menjawab soalan yang ditanya sebaliknya memberi penjelasan yang tidak berkaitan dengan soalan.
Dr Ling, 68, didakwa menipu kerajaan Malaysia apabila tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan negeri 7324 Lot 67894 yang berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000 sedangkan beliau tahu JPPH, dalam
menentukan nilai kadar RM25 skp, telah mengambil kira kadar kupon/faedah.
Beliau juga didakwa atas dua pertuduhan pilihan (pindaan) iaitu menipu dan sengaja tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah kadar faedah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan 7324 Lot 67894 berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000.
Dr Ling didakwa melakukan semua kesalahan itu di tingkat 4, Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya antara 25 Sept dan 6 November 2002.
Sementara itu, ketika ditanya sama ada harga menjadi isu dalam pembelian tanah di Pulau Indah, Dr Ling berkata beliau tidak bimbang dengan isu harga itu kerana ia di bawah seliaan JPPH dan Kementerian Kewangan.
Ditanya sama ada beliau memberi sokongan supaya syarikat Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) diberi kontrak untuk melaksanakan kerja-kerja pembangunan infrastruktur asas di Pulau Indah, Dr Ling berkata: "Saya tidak bersetuju."
Soalan mengenai sokongan itu adalah merujuk kepada surat Dr Ling yang ditandatanganinya sendiri kepada bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad bertarikh 3 April 2002.
Ketika ditanya mengenai nilaian tanah sebanyak RM25 skp, Dr Ling berkata beliau tidak tahu bahawa jumlah itu merangkumi kadar faedah ataupun tidak.
Dr Ling berkata walaupun beliau adalah menteri pengangkutan beliau tidak tahu mengenai penilaian tanah dan maksud pengeluaran bon.
Tambah beliau, Kementerian Pengangkutan dan juga kementerian lain sentiasa mematuhi penilaian yang ditetapkan JPPH, dan beliau sendiri tidak membantah keputusan yang dibuat Kementerian Kewangan.
Beliau sekali lagi menegaskan bahawa ketika berkhidmat dalam kabinet, adalah menjadi kebiasaan Dr Mahathir untuk menanyakan sebarang pendapat kepada semua yang hadir sebelum membuat keputusan.
Perbicaraan di hadapan Hakim Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi disambung 24 September.
- Bernamahttp://www.malaysiakini.com/news/204041
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik admitted during his cheating trial today that he does not understand the purpose behind the issuance of bonds to finance a property purchase.
Dr Ling, who served as Malaysia’s transport minister for 17 years until 2003, told the High Court that while he has heard of bonds, his knowledge on the matter is limited to what he reads in stock market reports.
“That’s all I know,” he said to a question from lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah during cross-examination this afternoon.
“What about bonds for purchasing property? Or bonds to finance a purchase?” Tun Majid asked.
Shrugging, Dr Ling said, “No.”
“So you have never heard about people raising bonds to finance a purchase?” Tun Majid continued.
“No. They may be doing it but I don’t know how to do it and I don’t understand its purpose,” Dr Ling replied.
The former MCA president was being questioned about a letter from then Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) director-general Datuk Sahari Mahadi to his ministry on September 29, 2000, which detailed the valuation of a 999.5-acre plot of land to be purchased for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.
Dr Ling is on trial for allegedly deceiving Cabinet into approving the purchase from turnkey developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), which had later resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf and 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by JPPH despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
According to the letter read out by Tun Majid to the court today, JPPH had stated that a value of RM25 psf “and above” for the land in Pulau Indah “can be considered” for the purpose of the issuance of bonds.
“Taking into consideration the financial terms above and using the ‘discounted cash flow’ (DCF) method whereby the target rate is set at 8.25 per cent, the coupon interest rate at 6 per cent and a repayment of term of 10 years, it is found that the ‘land value’ of RM25 psf and above can be considered for the purpose of the issuance of bonds although the land value is only RM21 [psf],” Tun Majid read.
A figure higher than RM25 psf can be considered as the period is 15 years.”
But Dr Ling told the court that he could not understand JPPH’s valuation of the land, saying it was very “confusing” to him.
“I find this 8.25 per cent very complicated... how do you get 8.25 per cent?” he asked.
“So you mean to say you don’t understand the whole letter?” Tun Majid asked.
“Yes,” Dr Ling said.
Tun Majid continued, “I further put it to you that it was not just RM25 psf... but a figure of more than RM25 psf can be considered if it (repayment) is for 15 years and that it is for the purpose of issuance of bonds.”
“As I told you, I don’t even understand a lot of these things... how this 8.25 per cent was derived so if I don’t understand these things...,” Dr Ling trailed off.
Dr Ling faces a possible jail term of up to seven years, or a fine, or both, if convicted on the first charge under section 418 of the Penal Code.
The alternative charges carry a lighter sentence of five years’ jail, or a fine, or both.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi resumes on September 24.
Liong Sik says had no right to object to PKFZ contract
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik today told the court that he had no right to object to Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB)’s application to develop land in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), saying that all contracts came under the purview of the Finance Ministry (MoF) which was then headed by Tun Daim Zainuddin.
Today was Dr Ling’s fourth day in the witness stand and his first day of cross-examination by the prosecution.
Lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah asked if Dr Ling had objected to the contract for KDSB, the same company which had owned the PKFZ land, which is at the trial’s centre of contention.
The former MCA president is facing the possibility of a seven-year jail term, or fine, or both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land from KDSB for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement in place.
“I don’t have the right to object...because the final decision comes from Tun Daim’s Treasury,” replied Dr Ling, who served as transport minister for 17 years until 2003.
“I’m saying now and I knew it then because the rule of the old government, contracts are given out by the contract division of the Treasury”.
Daim was then the First Finance Minister.
Tun Majid also quizzed Dr Ling over a letter from KDSB’s chief executive officer Datuk Tiong King Sing that was addressed to him, dated October 30, 2000.
In the letter, KDSB had applied to be a “turnkey developer” of a “trans-shipment megahub” in PKFZ, and there was a handwritten note signed by Dr Ling, stating that “I have no objection.”
“It was KDSB who applied? You said you have no objection?” asked Tun Majid.
“No objection to what? He (Tiong) told me he had applied to Tun Daim and in my mind, he was the correct authority... I have no objection to him applying to Tun Daim.”
Tun Majid also said later: “You proposed that KDSB receive this contract.”
“I put it to you that it was not Tun Daim or MoF who proposed this. It was an application by KDSB and supported by you and pushed to MoF,” added the lawyer.
“I disagree,” said Dr Ling.
On Monday, Dr Ling had told his counsel Wong Kian Kheong during examination-in-chief that he did not receive any gratification from KDSB in exchange for the land purchase, nor had he “bent over backwards” for the company.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi resumes on September 28.
Dr Ling, who served for 17 years as transport minister until 2003, also denied that the government had been willing to acquire land at whatever cost.
"No. If the price is too high and it is not viable, what for?" he told lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah during cross-examination today.
The former MCA president (picture) is on trial for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project in 2002, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf and 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
Dr Ling insisted to the court today that the issue of land price was never under his jurisdiction, pointing out that such matters were only for the Finance Ministry and its agencies to determine.
"I don't remember discussing price (of the land), price was always — in my mind — left to the MOF (finance ministry), the EPU (Economic Planning Unit) and the JPPH," he said.
"In Cabinet, did any minister ever say that the price (of the land) was too high?" Tun Majid asked Dr Ling.
Dr Ling said, "No."
When Tun Majid asked if he was certain, the retired politician said, "Yes."
About a half hour later, Tun Majid referred Dr Ling to Cabinet minutes dated October 2, 2002, where it was stated that Cabinet had “taken note” that the price of the land in question was “very high”.
He cast doubt over Dr Ling’s testimony earlier, pointing out that although the latter claimed that no Cabinet minister had ever complained about the price of the land, it had still made note of the fact at its meeting.
“Do you remember you told us just now that the land price was never an issue?” the lawyer asked.
Dr Ling did not answer the question but pointed out to the court that during all the meetings he attended at the time, his focus was merely on “taking the land”.
“As far as the Transport Ministry is concerned, we are not concerned about the price. There are other agencies looking after valuation and finance... nothing to do with us so my focus was not there,” he said.
Dr Ling repeated that at the time, no one in Cabinet had ever mentioned that the price of the land to be purchased was considered too high.
Referring to the Cabinet minutes, the soft-spoken former minister pointed out that the document was not like Parliament’s Hansard.
“So how true this is, how not true this is — I cannot be sure,” he said.
He repeated that it was the Finance Ministry, JPPH and EPU’s duty to determine if the price of the land was “too high” and if the purchase would be viable for PKFZ.
“So I do not know who said this — too high,” he said before he was cut off by Tun Majid, who said that he would bring up the matter again at a later time.
“Anytime,” Dr Ling retorted.
Dr Ling faces a possible jail term of up to seven years, or a fine, or both, if convicted on the first charge under section 418 of the Penal Code.
The alternative charges carry a lighter sentence of five years’ jail, or a fine, or both.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi resumes on September 24.
The former transport minister made the admission when grilled today during cross-examination by lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah.
Tun Majid had put it to Dr Ling that while the latter was giving his witness statement to the police in April 2010, he had been shown Cabinet minutes dated October 2, 2002.
“I am saying now that this document was shown and referred to you during this recording of the statement,” the lawyer asked.
“I can’t remember,” Dr Ling replied.
“So are you changing your testimony today? Yesterday or day before yesterday you said you were never shown this document (the minutes) at all before you were charged. Now you can’t remember?” Tun Majid asked again.
“Yeah, I can’t remember,” Dr Ling replied.
Dr Ling was charged in July last year. “I can’t remember,” Dr Ling repeated.
Tun Abdul Majid also repeatedly asked if the former transport minister was shown notes from his ministry requesting the Cabinet to purchase the land via willing buyer-willing seller basis.
Dr Ling was allowed to read the notes as he was “trying to remember”, but he took a long time in doing so before the prosecutor resumed questioning him.
“Do you remember when you told us, when posed a question by your counsel, that you saw these two documents after you were charged? It was yesterday.”
Trial judge Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi also stepped in to ask: “You remember saying this yesterday?”
“No, I don’t remember,” Dr Ling replied.
When pressed by the prosecutor and judge, Dr Ling answered: “I don’t remember the police bringing any documents.”
The former MCA president is facing the possibility of a seven-year jail term, or fine, or both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
The trial resumes on September 24.
PKFZ : Surat untuk Dr M mengandungi penipuan - Liong Sik
KUALA
LUMPUR, 16 Julai — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik hari ini memberitahu bahawa
dia tidak tahu tentang surat untuk Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad pada tahun 2002, yang beliau sendiri tandatangan
berkenaan dengan pembelian tanah untuk Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Kelang (PKFZ)
mengandungi penipuan.
Bekas
Menteri Pengangkutan itu mempertahankan dirinya di kandang saksi hari
ini berkata, beliau terkejut dengan pendedahan penipuan yang ada di
dalam surat itu dan menegaskan bahawa beliau tidak tahu surat itu
mengandungi penipuan.
“Kalau saya tahu, saya akan betulkan atau tidak menghantar surat tersebut,” beliau memberitahu mahkamah ketika disoal oleh peguambelanya Wong Kian Kheong tengah hari ini.
Bekas
Menteri Pengangkutan itu mempertahankan dirinya di kandang saksi hari
ini berkata, beliau terkejut dengan pendedahan penipuan yang ada di
dalam surat itu dan menegaskan bahawa beliau tidak tahu surat itu
mengandungi penipuan.“Kalau saya tahu, saya akan betulkan atau tidak menghantar surat tersebut,” beliau memberitahu mahkamah ketika disoal oleh peguambelanya Wong Kian Kheong tengah hari ini.
Menurut surat tersebut, yang dibaca oleh Wong di mahkamah hari ini, Dr Ling (gambar) menulis untuk memberitahu Dr Mahathir bahawa Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), syarikat pemaju PKFZ telah bersetuju untuk menjual tanah seluas 999.5 ekar itu atas dasar harga pasaran bebas dengan harga RM25 sekaki persegi dan 7.5 peratus faedah atau keseluruhan bayaran itu dengan harga RM1.088 billion untuk projek tersebut.
Surat itu ditandatangani Ling pada 29 Jun, 2002 berkata persetujuan dengan KDSB akan membawa “keuntungan dan faedah” kepada kerajaan.
Tetapi Dr Ling berkata terdapat penipuan dalam surat tersebut, antaranya mengikut minit mesyuarat antara KDSB dengan kementeriannya pada 17 April tahun yang sama, bahawa perbincangan itu tidak seperti apa yang diberitahu.
Beliau memberitahu bahawa tidak menghadiri mesyuarat itu, sambil berkata jika dia hadir, dia tidak akan menghantar surat itu kepada Dr Mahathir.
“Surat ini sungguh mengejutkan, kerana berdasarkan surat (minit mesyuarat), perjumpaan itu langsung tidak berjaya. Mereka menuduh antara sendiri mengenai kewujudan rasuah.
“Bagaimana saya boleh beritahu PM bahawa ini boleh menguntungkan kerajaan?
“Berdasarkan minit mesyuarat ini, surat ini mengandungi penipuan,” katanya dengan nada kecewa kepada Mahkamah Tinggi.
“Saya tidak begitu berani untuk berbohong kepada Perdana Menteri, lebih-lebih lagi dengan penemuan ini,” katanya lagi tentang minit mesyuarat itu.
Wong kemudian memberitahu mahkamah bahawa Kementerian Pengangkutan pada ketika itu diwakili oleh Setiausaha Umumnya Datuk Zaharaah Shaari, Timbalan Setiausaha Umum Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor, dan bekas penolong setiausaha bagi pengurusan pelabuhan P. Chandrasakeran.
Mereka bertiga adalah saksi pendakwa yang telah disoal pada tahun lalu.
“Adakah mereka para pegawai yang menyediakan P24 (surat untuk PM) berserta dua lampiran?” tanya Wong.
“Saya rasa, ya. Sebab mereka pegawai yang telah lama menguruskan projek ini,” jawab Dr Ling.
“Ketika kamu menandatangani P24 itu, adakah kamu berhasrat untuk menipu atau mengelirukan PM?” tanya Wong lagi.
“Sudah tentu tidak,” jawab Dr Ling.
“Pada mulanya, untuk saya menulis surat ini dengan merujuk kepada mesyuarat 17 April itu akan memusnahkan saya, sebab saya mengatakan ia projek yang menguntungkan sedangkan itu adalah penipuan,” jawab Ling lagi.
Bekas Presiden MCA ini boleh dikenakan penjara tujuh tahun, atau denda, atau kedua-duanya sekali jika didapati bersalah menipu Kabinet dalam pembelian 999.5 ekar tanah untuk projek PKFZ, yang menyebabkan kerugian kepada kerajaan.
Dia juga berhadapan dengan tuduhan berlainan kerana menipu Kabinet bahawa terma pembelian RM25 sekaki persegi dan 7.5 peratus kadar faedah telah dipersetujui oleh Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH) walaupun menyedari bahawa tidak sebarang persetujuan begitu.
— file pic
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 17 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik claimed ignorance today over
the accuracy of the negotiated price of land purchased for the Port
Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, saying he had relied heavily on his
senior officers to handle the deal with Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB).The former transport minister pointed out to the High Court today that all financial matters relating to the land purchase had been handled by the Finance Ministry, through its various departments, such as the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) and the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).
“The [land] valuation is the prerogative of the Treasury, the EPU and the JPPH... we (transport ministry) only announced that we wanted the land,” he said today, his third day in the witness stand since last Friday.
He noted that since Cabinet, then presided by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had agreed on November 6, 2002, to purchase the 999.5-acre plot of land from KDSB at RM25 psf, no one had accused him of deceiving the government before he was slapped with court charges last year.
The former MCA president is on trial for knowingly deceiving the Cabinet in 2002 into approving the land purchase for the scandal-ridden PKFZ, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
Dr Ling also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf and 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the JPPH despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
The retired politician pointed out to the court today that prior to the November 6 decision to go ahead with the land buy, he had not objected when Cabinet decided on October 9, 2002 to defer the proposed purchase to consider the possibility of compulsory acquisition pending the Attorney-General Chamber’s (AGC) opinion on the legality of the matter.
“No, I did not [object] because I thought it was wise to hear what the AGC had to say so that we would not get stopped by legal points halfway,” he told the court during today’s examination-in-chief by his counsel Wong Kian Kheong.
According to Cabinet meeting minutes dated October 23 that were tendered to the court as evidence during the prosecution stage of the trial, the Finance Ministry had in a memorandum to Cabinet recommended compulsory acquisition of the land under section 3(1)(a) of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 using the RM10.16 psf rate stipulated by JPPH on an “as is” basis.
The recommendation was based on the AGC’s findings that the land in question had come attached with too many encumbrances and caveats, and would become a burden to the government.
“You attended this meeting... did you give any objection to the compulsory acquisition of the land?” Wong asked Dr Ling.
“No,” the former minister replied. “The ministry’s (transport ministry) intention was to get the land. Because land near ports should be used for port purposes.”
Dr Ling noted that following the meeting, his ministry was tasked to look into the encumbrances attached to the land, as identified by the AGC and the Finance Ministry’s memorandum.
He acknowledged that the note to Cabinet was subsequently prepared by his senior officials, including then ministry secretary-general Datuk Zaharaah Shaari, ministry deputy secretary-general (planning) Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohd Noor, and then principal assistant secretary P. Chandrasekaran.
In the note, Dr Ling’s ministry had recommended that the Cabinet stick to its original decision on October 2, 2002, to purchase the land based on the negotiated terms with KDSB, claiming that the Finance Ministry’s memorandum had included “incomplete facts”.
According to Cabinet meeting minutes dated November 6, the government took consideration of the ministry’s note and agreed to the land purchase, as originally proposed.
“Tun [Dr Ling], was there any letter, further note or memorandum from the Finance Ministry saying that P73 or P74 (the ministry’s note) was incorrect or misleading?” Wong asked his client.
“No,” Dr Ling replied.
He added that by submitting the note to Cabinet on November 6, he had no intention to deceive the government or conceal anything and would have corrected any mistakes if he had been aware of them.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi continues tomorrow with the prosecution cross-examining Dr Ling.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/liong-sik-says-did-not-know-pkfz-land-price-was-wrong/
‘I was wrongly charged,’ Liong Sik tells court
KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, the man currently in the centre of a high-profile trial on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, raised eyebrows in court today when he unexpectedly piped up to declare his innocence against charges of cheating the government.
The 69-year-old Dr Ling, who was at the witness stand this morning for the third time since last Friday, had raised his hands to address the court just after his counsel Wong Kian Kheong wrapped up examination-in-chief.
“Yang Arif, as my learned lawyer has said ... I personally believe that I have been wrongly charged,” he told Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi.
Visible surprised, Ahmadi pointed out to Dr Ling that such a matter was for his counsel Wong to prove during submissions.
But Dr Ling, unperturbed, went on determinedly, refusing to be interrupted.
“Yes ... but if Yang Arif has any more questions to ask (me),” he said, to giggles from the gallery.
Smiling, Ahmadi pointed out that the prosecution was likely to have many questions to put to him during cross-examination.
“You can stand down now,” he told Dr Ling.
The former MCA president is facing the possibility of a seven-year jail term, or fine, or both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
Earlier during examination-in-chief, the retired politician told the court that he would never “dare” deceive Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was prime minister at the time.
“No. I dare not. I wouldn’t have the audacity to tell lies to the PM, as I mentioned yesterday,” Dr Ling said.
He was responding to a question from Wong on whether he had intended to deceive Dr Mahathir when he signed off on two letters — one on April 3, 2002, and another on June 29 the same year — recommending the purchase of the land from turnkey developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) on willing buyer-willing seller basis, instead of through compulsory acquisition.
During his testimony yesterday, Dr Ling had admitted that the June 29 letter had contained “lies” although he had signed it but added that he had neither prepared the document nor was aware that it contained misleading information.
Dr Ling also repeatedly told the court today that he had at all times instructed his officials to follow the land valuation done by JPPH with respect to the price of land.
He said he had never urged the prime minister, Finance Ministry or any Cabinet minister against following the JPPH valuation, pointing out that the only authority on the subject in the government was the department.
“No, absolutely not,” he said, when questioned by Wong.
Dr Ling added that he had never understood the basis and the valuation of the land by JPPH as he has no qualification or training on the matter.
“No [I did not understand] because it is the first time I am hearing of ‘special value’ because to us, value is value,” he said.
He was addressing the multiple references to the RM25 psf rate used in correspondence between his ministry officials, the Port Klang Authority (PKA) and the Finance Ministry as the “special value” purportedly stipulated by the JPPH.
In the defence’s opening statement last Friday, Wong had pointed out that although the original ‘special value’ from the JPPH was RM21 psf, subsequent mentions of RM25 psf as the ‘special value’ were never corrected by the Finance Ministry, PKA, Transport Ministry or the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) until Dr Ling was charged.
“There is only one special value of the land which is RM21 psf and the defence will show that RM25 psf was the face value of the bonds as calculated by JPPH which excluded the six per cent coupon or interest rates,” he had told the court.
The trial continues tomorrow.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-was-wrongly-charged-liong-sik-tells-court/
PKFZ: Ling beri kenyataan berbeza ketika soal balas
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Dr Ling, 68, yang memberi keterangan di Mahkamah Tinggi di ibunegara sebelum ini memberitahu bahawa beliau tidak pernah melihat beberapa dokumen, termasuk dua dokumen, yang disediakan oleh Kementerian Pengangkutan kepada jemaah menteri, tetapi ketika ditanya Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, beliau menyatakan pula 'tidak ingat'.
Dr Ling yang berkali-kali ditanya sama ada beliau mengubah jawapannya berkata beliau tidak ingat tentang jawapan yang diberikan ketika pemeriksaan utama oleh peguamnya Wong Kian Kheong semalam.
Selain dua dokumen kepada jemaah menteri, Dr Ling turut dirujuk dengan dokumen keputusan jemaah menteri pada 2 Oktober 2002 yang menyetujui kaedah "willing buyer-willing seller" (kesanggupan pembeli-kesanggupan penjual) dalam pembelian tanah pada nilaian RM25 sekaki persegi (skp) dan tempoh pembayaran balik
tertangguh selama 15 tahun.
Beliau memberi jawapan yang sama iaitu "tidak ingat" ketika soalan ditanya berhubung dokumen tersebut sedangkan semalam beliau menyatakan tidak pernah melihatnya sebelum didakwa di mahkamah.
Antara dokumen lain yang gagal diingatinya ialah sama ada pernah melihat atau tidak surat daripada bekas ketua pengarah Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH) Datuk Sahari Mahadi yang menyatakan nilaian harga tanah adalah sebanyak RM21 skp.
Ketika prosiding berkenaan dokumen itu, wujud pertengkaran kecil antara Tun Abdul Majid dengan Dr Ling apabila Dr Ling enggan menjawab soalan yang ditanya sebaliknya memberi penjelasan yang tidak berkaitan dengan soalan.
Dr Ling, 68, didakwa menipu kerajaan Malaysia apabila tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan negeri 7324 Lot 67894 yang berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000 sedangkan beliau tahu JPPH, dalam
menentukan nilai kadar RM25 skp, telah mengambil kira kadar kupon/faedah.
Beliau juga didakwa atas dua pertuduhan pilihan (pindaan) iaitu menipu dan sengaja tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah kadar faedah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan 7324 Lot 67894 berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000.
Dr Ling didakwa melakukan semua kesalahan itu di tingkat 4, Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya antara 25 Sept dan 6 November 2002.
Sementara itu, ketika ditanya sama ada harga menjadi isu dalam pembelian tanah di Pulau Indah, Dr Ling berkata beliau tidak bimbang dengan isu harga itu kerana ia di bawah seliaan JPPH dan Kementerian Kewangan.
Ditanya sama ada beliau memberi sokongan supaya syarikat Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) diberi kontrak untuk melaksanakan kerja-kerja pembangunan infrastruktur asas di Pulau Indah, Dr Ling berkata: "Saya tidak bersetuju."
Soalan mengenai sokongan itu adalah merujuk kepada surat Dr Ling yang ditandatanganinya sendiri kepada bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad bertarikh 3 April 2002.
Ketika ditanya mengenai nilaian tanah sebanyak RM25 skp, Dr Ling berkata beliau tidak tahu bahawa jumlah itu merangkumi kadar faedah ataupun tidak.
Dr Ling berkata walaupun beliau adalah menteri pengangkutan beliau tidak tahu mengenai penilaian tanah dan maksud pengeluaran bon.
Tambah beliau, Kementerian Pengangkutan dan juga kementerian lain sentiasa mematuhi penilaian yang ditetapkan JPPH, dan beliau sendiri tidak membantah keputusan yang dibuat Kementerian Kewangan.
Beliau sekali lagi menegaskan bahawa ketika berkhidmat dalam kabinet, adalah menjadi kebiasaan Dr Mahathir untuk menanyakan sebarang pendapat kepada semua yang hadir sebelum membuat keputusan.
Perbicaraan di hadapan Hakim Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi disambung 24 September.
Liong Sik: I don’t understand bonds
- Bernamahttp://www.malaysiakini.com/news/204041
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik admitted during his cheating trial today that he does not understand the purpose behind the issuance of bonds to finance a property purchase.
Dr Ling, who served as Malaysia’s transport minister for 17 years until 2003, told the High Court that while he has heard of bonds, his knowledge on the matter is limited to what he reads in stock market reports.
“That’s all I know,” he said to a question from lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah during cross-examination this afternoon.
“What about bonds for purchasing property? Or bonds to finance a purchase?” Tun Majid asked.
Shrugging, Dr Ling said, “No.”
“So you have never heard about people raising bonds to finance a purchase?” Tun Majid continued.
“No. They may be doing it but I don’t know how to do it and I don’t understand its purpose,” Dr Ling replied.
The former MCA president was being questioned about a letter from then Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) director-general Datuk Sahari Mahadi to his ministry on September 29, 2000, which detailed the valuation of a 999.5-acre plot of land to be purchased for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.
Dr Ling is on trial for allegedly deceiving Cabinet into approving the purchase from turnkey developer Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), which had later resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf and 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by JPPH despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
According to the letter read out by Tun Majid to the court today, JPPH had stated that a value of RM25 psf “and above” for the land in Pulau Indah “can be considered” for the purpose of the issuance of bonds.
“Taking into consideration the financial terms above and using the ‘discounted cash flow’ (DCF) method whereby the target rate is set at 8.25 per cent, the coupon interest rate at 6 per cent and a repayment of term of 10 years, it is found that the ‘land value’ of RM25 psf and above can be considered for the purpose of the issuance of bonds although the land value is only RM21 [psf],” Tun Majid read.
A figure higher than RM25 psf can be considered as the period is 15 years.”
But Dr Ling told the court that he could not understand JPPH’s valuation of the land, saying it was very “confusing” to him.
“I find this 8.25 per cent very complicated... how do you get 8.25 per cent?” he asked.
“So you mean to say you don’t understand the whole letter?” Tun Majid asked.
“Yes,” Dr Ling said.
Tun Majid continued, “I further put it to you that it was not just RM25 psf... but a figure of more than RM25 psf can be considered if it (repayment) is for 15 years and that it is for the purpose of issuance of bonds.”
“As I told you, I don’t even understand a lot of these things... how this 8.25 per cent was derived so if I don’t understand these things...,” Dr Ling trailed off.
Dr Ling faces a possible jail term of up to seven years, or a fine, or both, if convicted on the first charge under section 418 of the Penal Code.
The alternative charges carry a lighter sentence of five years’ jail, or a fine, or both.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi resumes on September 24.
Liong Sik says had no right to object to PKFZ contract
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik today told the court that he had no right to object to Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB)’s application to develop land in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), saying that all contracts came under the purview of the Finance Ministry (MoF) which was then headed by Tun Daim Zainuddin.
Today was Dr Ling’s fourth day in the witness stand and his first day of cross-examination by the prosecution.
Lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah asked if Dr Ling had objected to the contract for KDSB, the same company which had owned the PKFZ land, which is at the trial’s centre of contention.
The former MCA president is facing the possibility of a seven-year jail term, or fine, or both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land from KDSB for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement in place.
“I don’t have the right to object...because the final decision comes from Tun Daim’s Treasury,” replied Dr Ling, who served as transport minister for 17 years until 2003.
“I’m saying now and I knew it then because the rule of the old government, contracts are given out by the contract division of the Treasury”.
Daim was then the First Finance Minister.
Tun Majid also quizzed Dr Ling over a letter from KDSB’s chief executive officer Datuk Tiong King Sing that was addressed to him, dated October 30, 2000.
In the letter, KDSB had applied to be a “turnkey developer” of a “trans-shipment megahub” in PKFZ, and there was a handwritten note signed by Dr Ling, stating that “I have no objection.”
“It was KDSB who applied? You said you have no objection?” asked Tun Majid.
“No objection to what? He (Tiong) told me he had applied to Tun Daim and in my mind, he was the correct authority... I have no objection to him applying to Tun Daim.”
Tun Majid also said later: “You proposed that KDSB receive this contract.”
“I put it to you that it was not Tun Daim or MoF who proposed this. It was an application by KDSB and supported by you and pushed to MoF,” added the lawyer.
“I disagree,” said Dr Ling.
On Monday, Dr Ling had told his counsel Wong Kian Kheong during examination-in-chief that he did not receive any gratification from KDSB in exchange for the land purchase, nor had he “bent over backwards” for the company.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi resumes on September 28.
Liong Sik: Cabinet never complained about PKFZ land price
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — No minister in Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Cabinet had ever complained that the price of land purchased for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project was too high, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik told the High Court today.Dr Ling, who served for 17 years as transport minister until 2003, also denied that the government had been willing to acquire land at whatever cost.
"No. If the price is too high and it is not viable, what for?" he told lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah during cross-examination today.
The former MCA president (picture) is on trial for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project in 2002, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf and 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
Dr Ling insisted to the court today that the issue of land price was never under his jurisdiction, pointing out that such matters were only for the Finance Ministry and its agencies to determine.
"I don't remember discussing price (of the land), price was always — in my mind — left to the MOF (finance ministry), the EPU (Economic Planning Unit) and the JPPH," he said.
"In Cabinet, did any minister ever say that the price (of the land) was too high?" Tun Majid asked Dr Ling.
Dr Ling said, "No."
When Tun Majid asked if he was certain, the retired politician said, "Yes."
About a half hour later, Tun Majid referred Dr Ling to Cabinet minutes dated October 2, 2002, where it was stated that Cabinet had “taken note” that the price of the land in question was “very high”.
He cast doubt over Dr Ling’s testimony earlier, pointing out that although the latter claimed that no Cabinet minister had ever complained about the price of the land, it had still made note of the fact at its meeting.
“Do you remember you told us just now that the land price was never an issue?” the lawyer asked.
Dr Ling did not answer the question but pointed out to the court that during all the meetings he attended at the time, his focus was merely on “taking the land”.
“As far as the Transport Ministry is concerned, we are not concerned about the price. There are other agencies looking after valuation and finance... nothing to do with us so my focus was not there,” he said.
Dr Ling repeated that at the time, no one in Cabinet had ever mentioned that the price of the land to be purchased was considered too high.
Referring to the Cabinet minutes, the soft-spoken former minister pointed out that the document was not like Parliament’s Hansard.
“So how true this is, how not true this is — I cannot be sure,” he said.
He repeated that it was the Finance Ministry, JPPH and EPU’s duty to determine if the price of the land was “too high” and if the purchase would be viable for PKFZ.
“So I do not know who said this — too high,” he said before he was cut off by Tun Majid, who said that he would bring up the matter again at a later time.
“Anytime,” Dr Ling retorted.
Dr Ling faces a possible jail term of up to seven years, or a fine, or both, if convicted on the first charge under section 418 of the Penal Code.
The alternative charges carry a lighter sentence of five years’ jail, or a fine, or both.
The trial before Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi resumes on September 24.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/liong-sik-cabinet-never-complained-about-pkfz-land-price/
Liong Sik forgets own PKFZ testimony
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 ― Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik today admitted that he has forgotten his own testimony to court over the past few days when he was defending himself against charges of cheating the government over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ).
A visibly confused Dr Ling told the High Court here that he could not remember how he had testified yesterday when he was asked by his lawyer if he had seen a few documents before being charged in court last July.The former transport minister made the admission when grilled today during cross-examination by lead prosecutor Datuk Tun Majid Tun Hamzah.
Tun Majid had put it to Dr Ling that while the latter was giving his witness statement to the police in April 2010, he had been shown Cabinet minutes dated October 2, 2002.
“I am saying now that this document was shown and referred to you during this recording of the statement,” the lawyer asked.
“I can’t remember,” Dr Ling replied.
“So are you changing your testimony today? Yesterday or day before yesterday you said you were never shown this document (the minutes) at all before you were charged. Now you can’t remember?” Tun Majid asked again.
“Yeah, I can’t remember,” Dr Ling replied.
Dr Ling was charged in July last year. “I can’t remember,” Dr Ling repeated.
Tun Abdul Majid also repeatedly asked if the former transport minister was shown notes from his ministry requesting the Cabinet to purchase the land via willing buyer-willing seller basis.
Dr Ling was allowed to read the notes as he was “trying to remember”, but he took a long time in doing so before the prosecutor resumed questioning him.
“Do you remember when you told us, when posed a question by your counsel, that you saw these two documents after you were charged? It was yesterday.”
Trial judge Justice Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi also stepped in to ask: “You remember saying this yesterday?”
“No, I don’t remember,” Dr Ling replied.
When pressed by the prosecutor and judge, Dr Ling answered: “I don’t remember the police bringing any documents.”
The former MCA president is facing the possibility of a seven-year jail term, or fine, or both, for allegedly deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government.
He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement.
The trial resumes on September 24.
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