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| Update Full PKFZ report still out of MPs' reach |
| Written by Sharon Tan | |||
| Thursday, 02 July 2009 10:23 | |||
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Just before the start of the current sitting, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat had directed Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng to deliver to parliament 300 copies of the PKFZ report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), including appendices. Arguments broke out at the start of the sitting this morning when M Kulasegeran (Ipoh Barat-DAP) stood to ask the Speaker why the report had not been distributed to the MPs although it had been delivered to parliament. He said it should not be locked up in a metal safe. Kiandee said that since the report was requested by the parliament secretary in her capacity as the PAC secretary, the report would be tabled along with the PAC's report as its investigations had not been concluded. The documents, he said, cannot be released separately. "Believe me, the reports are not locked in a metal safe. The documents were acquired upon the request of the PAC, (so) let the PAC digest the documents first," said Kiandee. He refused to answer why the secretariat needed 300 copies. Saifuddin Nasution (Machang-PKR) supported Kula's argument by quoting Standing Order 22, which states that any pamphlet or document that has been received by the parliament secretary must be considered to have been tabled to the House. However, it was to no avail as Kiandee stuck to his decision. When met outside the chamber, Saifuddin said the transport ministry had assured the MPs that they would be getting their copy of the report along with the appendices. "After a week, nothing is on our table. That caused Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh Timur-DAP) to challenge PKA because the media statement was not followed through with action. The perception is that PKA has yet to prepare the report. "The PKA chairman said that Lim has made a misleading statement as PKA has already sent 300 copies to parliament secretary Datuk Rosmee Hamzah. So, according to Standing Order 22, any document that is given to the secretary is deemed to have been tabled to the House and its members," Saifuddin added. "However, the deputy speaker did not dispute the relevance of Standing Order 22," he said, "But the document was handed over by PKA based on the letter sent by Datuk Rosmee in her capacity as PAC secretary. Hence, until PAC completes its hearing, the document cannot be distributed," he said. Saifuddin said he disputed the ruling because 300 copies have been sent to parliament, whereas the number of PAC members are few. "There is no Standing Order that said the PAC must complete its work before it can distribute a report to the MPs. "To impose a condition that PAC must complete its investigation first is like putting the position of the MPs before PAC's work," he said, adding that the PAC will take time to complete its work. He said the transport ministry and PKA intended to distribute the report to all MPs by printing 300 copies, but technical reasons have been used to prevent the MPs from getting their copies. On his part, Kula pointed to Standing Order 20, which rules that the duty of the parliament secretary is to receive and table a report. "My argument is that PAC is a committee set up by the Dewan Rakyat and therefore it is subservient to the Dewan Rakyat. We need to read and analyse (the report) so that we can reach our own conclusions," he said, urging Ong to make the copies available to the MPs directly. Kula said the whole purpose of the investigation is defeated by holding back the report. "Why the delay? What is so great in doing the report when we cannot read it through? PAC is a creature of the Dewan Rakyat therefore we cannot be subservient to them. They (PAC) must be subject to us. The decision arouses more suspicion than clarity," he said. Lim, who has been issuing three questions to Ong on the PKFZ issue every day, accused PAC chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid of hijacking and obstructing access of the MPs to report. "We have now the ridiculous situation where 300 copies of the PwC report and appendices have been sent to parliament and are hidden somewhere in the parliament building away from the sight of the MPs on the grounds that they have been hijacked by the PAC and would only be tabled in parliament together with the PAC report on the PKFZ," he added.
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