KUALA LUMPUR: It has been a difficult two months for Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and the pressure is piling up on the beleaguered MCA chief.

Besides having to deal with an internal revolt in the party and facing attacks from "unfriendly" backbenchers in parliament, Ong has also been taken ill.

According to Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri today, Ong was absent from Dewan Rakyat as he had been given medical leave by the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM).

Ong also did not attend the party's central committee meeting on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, there has been no let-up for the transport minister despite being on medical leave.

In parliament yesterday, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) threatened to lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for what the party alleged to be dodgy purchases by the transport ministry.

Led by Datuk Zahrain Mohd Hashim (Bayan Baru-PKR), the party also wants the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to probe the costly purchase of train engines by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).

"Other than an investigation by PAC, we also would like the minister to come clean on this issue because we saw many matters which do not make sense. How can Costa Rica pay €2 million and we pay €6 million for the same thing?" Zahrain told reporters in the parliament lobby today.

"The transport ministry has been involved with many problems. The PKFZ (Port Klang Free Zone) has not yet been solved and now we have this. If we do not voice out, then the people will be cheated.

"We will report with the information we have. So far, it is fairly complete but there are one or two matters that we would like to clarify before we present to MACC," he added.

Last month, BN backbenchers asked the MACC to investigate the procurement of diesel multiple unit (DMU) commuter train.

Umno's Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamad Aziz had demanded that the MACC investigate Ong's role in the double-tracking railway project.

Mohamad claimed that the railway board did not authorise the purchase of "out of commission" diesel trains for the project but Ong had used his "minister's power" to approve the purchase.

Arau BN MP Datuk Ismail Kasim also questioned the purchase of the diesel trains because it did not follow the standards and specifications of the KTMB board.

Ismail pointed out that the trains were not approved by the board and the services of the managing director were terminated when the agreement was signed.