Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In George Town, Penang On 31.1.2018.
What is Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission(MACC) investigating now that MCA Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Wee Ka Siong no longer alleges corruption in the RM 6.3 billon tunnel and 3 highways project but claims instead that the Penang state government did not clearly state that China Railway Construction Corporation(CRCC) is not a shareholder but the main contractor? Wee Ka Siong claims that the failure of the Penang state government to state that clearly, is a misrepresentation that allowed the inclusion of CRCC to increase the paid-up capital of the project to RM4.5 billion.
If this is Wee’s main contention, then the BN media is involved in fake news by quoting MACC sources that there is corruption in this project or kickbacks of up to millions of ringgit to state government leaders despite the fact that the project was granted in a transparent manner by open competitive tender. Clearly the Penang state government is a victim of a systematic political lynching by both BN and MACC to smear our image in the run-up to the 14th general elections.
That is why the Penang state government will not be bullied by the BN Government’s political witch hunt nor bow down to dirty tactics of intimidation, fake news and abuse of power to sabotage this transport plan to alleviate traffic congestion in Penang. There is nothing to hide nor fear when the project is granted through an open competitive tender by the Penang Tender Committee. Bear in mind that the Penang Tender Committee is required by law to be chaired by the State Secretary and its members, senior state government officials. The Chief Minister or the EXCO member is not permitted by law to be in the Penang State Tender Committee.
Before responding to Wee, can he explain why he lied that the project agreement signed by the state government was not properly stamped because it only appeared on one page or lied that the commitment by CRCC as main contractor to complete the project was not legally binding because it was not stamped. It is also unfair for Wee to drag the Penang State Secretary into the political arena, especially when this project is under investigation by MACC. Wee again pretends not to know that senior state government officials in Penang are under the Federal government.
There is a reason why Wee deliberately refuses to apologise for his blatant lie that the agreement was not stamped or that CRCC’s commitment to complete the project was not legally binding because it was not stamped. Wee is desperate to exclude CRCC because CRCC is part of the main agreement that was signed by the state government on 29.10.2013 together with Zenith consortium. Even CRCC has issued a statement that was cited by Wee in The Star on 20.1.2018, confirming that CRCC is the main contractor for this project.
In other words it was a form of “tri-partite agreement” comprising the state government, the consortium as shareholders, and CRCC as the main contractor. In order to lock in CRCC as the main contractor, CRCC gave an additional commitment in the agreement to successfully complete the project – a form of double insurance. Locking in CRCC is important to ensure the project’s success not only in terms of financial viability but also the technical and professional expertise required for such a major project.
Is it wrong to say, in terms easily understood by the public, that when the agreement was signed, the whole project has the legal backing of companies with a paid-up capital of RM4.5 billion that has committed itself legally to ensure its successful completion. This is similar to our repeated attacks on the 1MDB scandal that apart from the famous RM2.6 billion donation given to M01, Jho Low had also benefited USD1 billion. This is not strictly accurate because the USD1 billion stolen from cheating 1MDB benefited not just Jho Low but also others, including the Prime Minister’s step-son.
Wee will definitely dispute that the Penang state government misrepresented the project but if Wee’s contention is the lack of clear emphasis that CRCC is the main contractor and not the shareholder, “Where then is the corruption involving Penang state government leaders?”
LIM GUAN ENG
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槟城州首席部长林冠英于2018年1月31日在槟城乔治市发表的文告
既然魏家祥已经“转口风”，不再指控63亿令吉海底隧道及3条大道计划有涉嫌贪污，只是指责为何槟州政府只列明中国铁建是该计划主要承包商而不是股东，那么大马反贪会到底还在调查什么呢？
既然在首相署内的马华部长魏家祥已经“转口风”，不再指控63亿令吉海底隧道及3条大道计划有涉嫌贪污，只是指责为何槟州政府只列明中国铁建是该计划主要承包商而不是股东，那么大马反贪会到底还在调查什么呢？魏家祥如今只是声称槟州政府并无法清楚说明，为何误导将中国铁建列入股东，以将此计划的缴足资本提高到45亿令吉。
如果魏家祥主要关注的只是上述指责，那么足见国阵媒体引述反贪会消息来源爆料指控州政府领袖在此计划收受数百万令吉回佣的新闻都是假新闻。要知道该项计划的发标是经过透明的公开招标程序完成。很明显，槟州政府已经成为国阵与反贪会计划性政治猎杀行动的受害者，目的就是要在第14届大选来临之际破坏州政府的形象。
因此，槟州政府绝不轻易让国阵政府的政治猎巫行动欺凌，也绝不会向恐吓、假新闻及滥权的肮脏手段低头，绝不让他们破坏这项疏散槟城交通的大蓝图计划。这项计划是槟州招标委员会透过公开招标发标出去，因此，槟州无所隐藏，无所畏惧。更需谨记的是槟州招标委员会是依法由槟州州秘书为主席，其委员会成员都是州政府的高级官员。首席部长与行政议员依法是不被允许在槟州招标委员会内。
在回应魏家祥之前，得需要魏家祥先解释为何他谎称州政府所签署的合约因为只签署一页，没有妥善盖印花税，还谎称因为没有盖印花税，所以中国铁建签署要致力完成该项计划的合约不具法律效用。另外，在反贪会调查该项计划之际，魏家祥却将槟州州秘书拖下政治恶斗浑水，是否有欠公平。魏家祥又再假装不知槟州政府的高级官员也是在联邦政府管辖之下。
因此，魏家祥才存心拒绝对他的谎言道歉，他竟然可以公然谎称合约没盖印花税及因为没有盖印花税，所以中国铁建签署要致力完成该项计划的合约不具法律效用。有鉴于此，如今，魏家祥反而急于将中国铁建排除在外，因为中国铁建确实在2013年10月29日州政府与Zenith合资财团签署合约时，列明在主要合约内。中国铁建甚至已经发言证实他们是该计划的主要承包商，而且还被魏家祥自己在《星报》上引用呢！
换句话说，这是“三方协议”的一种形式，州政府与Zenith财团是股东，中国铁建则是主要承包商。而且，为了绑定中国铁建作为该计划的主要承包商，中国铁建还另外在合约内附加承诺要致力成功完成该计划，这可是双重保障。绑定中国铁建作为主要承包商是一项非常重要的措举，因为不只可以确保在完成该计划时财务无虞，更能确保这项需要极度高超技术与专精专业的大工程成功实现。
为了让公众更轻易了解在签署这项计划时，在法律上全盘是有一家缴足资本45亿令吉的大企业做后盾，并承诺确保该计划成功落实，难道也有错？就好像当我们一直抨击1MDB丑闻的时候采取沈略的说法，除了抨击大马一号官员获捐赠的26亿令吉之外，我们也只专注抨击刘特佐获得了10亿美元，但这说法也不全然精确，因为这笔从1MDB所行骗得来的10亿美元不止刘特佐牟利，其他人士也有分赃，包括首相的继子。
魏家祥肯定还是会巧言令色地纠缠不休指控州政府在该计划上误导公众，但若然魏家祥的用意只是专注在纠缠着州政府为何没有强调“中国铁建不是股东，只是主要承包商”这项课题而已。既然如此，我倒要问在这项计划上“槟州政府的领袖到底是在哪里牵涉贪污了？”
林冠英