KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 – Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat’s office says he will personally honour all payments for flights he took on the private jets owned by a company linked to the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.
The response from the transport minister’s office comes after he was accused this week of being a freeloader by Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB).
Apart from having to explain why he was using private jets owned by a company which is linked to KDSB, Ong had to also deny this week allegations that he had received a RM10 million donation last year from KDSB CEO Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
A statement sent by his political secretary Simon Lim today did not explain why he did not use the commercial services of Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia or Firefly.
Details provided by KDSB show that Ong used KDSB associate Wijaya Baru Aviation's private jets on the following occasions: February 19, from Subang to Johor Baru at 7.55am on a Gulfstream 450, returning 10.30pm; March 7, from Subang to Kuantan at noon on a Learjet 60, returning 10pm; March 24, from Subang to Johor Baru at noon on a Learjet 60, returning 10pm April 20; from Subang to Johor Baru at 5.30pm on a Gulfstream 450, returning 11pm.
Ong's request for a Learjet 60 to fly from Subang to Kuantan and back on April 24 was rejected.
KDSB has said that it could not bill Ong because the company does not have a charter license. What it wants Ong to pay for are the fuel costs and landing charges which are estimated to be close to RM140,000.
“I would like to make clear that flights booked by the Ministry of Transport for Dato’ Sri Ong Tee Keat in whatever capacity are generally confined to services offered by Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia or Firefly.
“In the rare occasions when flights taken are not for official functions, these are paid for from the personal account of Dato' Sri Ong. The services of airlines other than the ones mentioned above are only utilised in very rare cases of emergency or urgency. These are also paid for from the personal account of Dato' Sri Ong,” Lim said.
Lim did not say whether the flights taken on KDSB’s aircraft was a result of any emergency or urgency.
The government's General Orders, however, does not allow him to use services which are more expensive than what Malaysia Airlines offers.
The statement from Lim also did not explain the cozy relationship he appeared to share with KDSB.
That relationship seems to have broken down beyond redemption this week after Tiong, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers chairman, alleged that Ong had accepted a RM10 million donation from him last year.
Ong has vehemently denied this and is threatening to sue Tiong.
Tiong's and KDSB’s attacks against Ong was preceded by the special task force investigating the PKFZ’s findings this week which said there were questionable claims of at least RM500 million made by KDSB, the project’s turnkey contractor.
A police report over the questionable claims was also lodged this week by Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng.
Besides giving BN a headache, the tiff between Ong and Tiong has sent MCA into a tailspin. Ong had won the MCA presidency last year on a platform of integrity and good governance.
While he has denied the so-called RM10 million donation, he is still finding it hard to explain why he took rides on KDSB’s private jets.
In a signal that his position in MCA is precarious, he has called for a special closed-door briefing on the issue to party divisional leaders tomorrow.
“Dato' Sri Ong has and will always be firmly committed to the principles of Integrity and governance in daily administration of the office of the Minister of Transport. For example, personal letterheads are utilised in respect of correspondences of a private nature that are not related to the affairs of the Ministry.
“I wish to further reiterate that as at date neither Dato Sri Ong nor his office received any statement or invoice requesting payment from Wijaya Baru Aviation Sdn. Bhd. Dato’ Sri Ong will honour all his payment and any obligation that is due.
“Needless to say, the payment will be made through the personal account of Dato’ Sri Ong, after ascertaining that the quantum is reasonable,” said Lim.
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