By NURBAITI HAMDAN and YUEN MEIKENG
PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has been charged with cheating the Government over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal and he now faces up to seven years in prison.
The 67-year-old former Transport Minister, believed to be the first Tun in the country to be prosecuted in a court of law, was later granted a RM1mil bail by Judge Suzana Hussin with one surety.
He was accused in the Sessions Court here of knowingly deceiving the Cabinet to approve a land purchase in Pulau Indah for the purpose of the Mega Distribution Hub project in Port Klang, which resulted in wrongful losses to the Govern¬ment.
Leading the team: Abdul Gani (left) arriving at the Putrajaya Sessions Court with other lawyers in the prosecution team, including Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s office here between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002.
Dr Ling, the longest-serving MCA president, claimed trial to the first charge of cheating under Section 418 of the Penal Code and an alternative charge under Section 417 for an alleged offence committed at the same time and place.
He faces up to seven years in jail for the first charge and up to five years’ imprisonment under the alternative charge. Both carry a fine.
The prosecution, which came as a shock to the nation, was the result of a joint probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.
Dressed in dark-coloured pants and a blue striped shirt, Dr Ling, from Air Tawar, Perak, appeared calm in the dock and requested that his charges be read in English.
He said “not guilty” when asked for his plea.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who is leading the four-man prosecution team, told the court that the charges were bailable offences and proposed a RM1mil bail to which the defence had no objection.
In mitigation, defence counsel Datuk R.R. Sethu said Dr Ling was a long-serving civil servant and gave assurances that he would not abscond.
He also applied for the next mention date to be set a month from yesterday.
Judge Suzana then fixed Sept 3 for mention.
Dr Ling, who posted the bail, was later seen shaking hands with the lawyers present after court proceedings ended at 5pm.
His wife Toh Puan Ena Ling and sons Hee Leong and Hee Keat were also present.
When met outside the courtroom, Dr Ling told reporters: “When you are at the Palace of Justice, you must be very confident of justice.”
Dr Ling, a doctor by training, served as MCA president from 1986 to 2003.
On June 13, 2003, he was appointed the party’s Honorary Life President in recognition of his loyal and meritorious services to the party, community and nation.
In Ipoh, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said party leaders were shocked over the matter.
Dr Chua, who was on a visit to SJK(C) Poi Lam here, told reporters however that he was confident Dr Ling would get a fair trial.
Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said it had never identified Dr Ling as the “culprit” behind the PKFZ scandal.
Another former MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said he only wanted the interest of the general public, especially taxpayers, to be protected.
“I’m not interested in specific personalities,” he said.
He added that there was a necessity for the authorities to keep the public informed of its findings, adding: “And if there has been fraud, then the funds must be recovered.”
Dr Ling is the fifth and the highest-ranking person to be charged over the scandal after former Port Klang Authority general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang and three others were accused of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and cheating by making false claims late last year.
The PKFZ project was mooted during Dr Ling’s term as Transport Minister, and the cost of the project – initially estimated at less than RM2bil – more than doubled to RM4.6bil by 2007.
PUTRAJAYA: Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has been charged with cheating the Government over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal and he now faces up to seven years in prison.
The 67-year-old former Transport Minister, believed to be the first Tun in the country to be prosecuted in a court of law, was later granted a RM1mil bail by Judge Suzana Hussin with one surety.
He was accused in the Sessions Court here of knowingly deceiving the Cabinet to approve a land purchase in Pulau Indah for the purpose of the Mega Distribution Hub project in Port Klang, which resulted in wrongful losses to the Govern¬ment.
Leading the team: Abdul Gani (left) arriving at the Putrajaya Sessions Court with other lawyers in the prosecution team, including Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s office here between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002.
Dr Ling, the longest-serving MCA president, claimed trial to the first charge of cheating under Section 418 of the Penal Code and an alternative charge under Section 417 for an alleged offence committed at the same time and place.
He faces up to seven years in jail for the first charge and up to five years’ imprisonment under the alternative charge. Both carry a fine.
The prosecution, which came as a shock to the nation, was the result of a joint probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.
Dressed in dark-coloured pants and a blue striped shirt, Dr Ling, from Air Tawar, Perak, appeared calm in the dock and requested that his charges be read in English.
He said “not guilty” when asked for his plea.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who is leading the four-man prosecution team, told the court that the charges were bailable offences and proposed a RM1mil bail to which the defence had no objection.
In mitigation, defence counsel Datuk R.R. Sethu said Dr Ling was a long-serving civil servant and gave assurances that he would not abscond.
He also applied for the next mention date to be set a month from yesterday.
Judge Suzana then fixed Sept 3 for mention.
Dr Ling, who posted the bail, was later seen shaking hands with the lawyers present after court proceedings ended at 5pm.
His wife Toh Puan Ena Ling and sons Hee Leong and Hee Keat were also present.
When met outside the courtroom, Dr Ling told reporters: “When you are at the Palace of Justice, you must be very confident of justice.”
Dr Ling, a doctor by training, served as MCA president from 1986 to 2003.
On June 13, 2003, he was appointed the party’s Honorary Life President in recognition of his loyal and meritorious services to the party, community and nation.
In Ipoh, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said party leaders were shocked over the matter.
Dr Chua, who was on a visit to SJK(C) Poi Lam here, told reporters however that he was confident Dr Ling would get a fair trial.
Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said it had never identified Dr Ling as the “culprit” behind the PKFZ scandal.
Another former MCA president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said he only wanted the interest of the general public, especially taxpayers, to be protected.
“I’m not interested in specific personalities,” he said.
He added that there was a necessity for the authorities to keep the public informed of its findings, adding: “And if there has been fraud, then the funds must be recovered.”
Dr Ling is the fifth and the highest-ranking person to be charged over the scandal after former Port Klang Authority general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang and three others were accused of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and cheating by making false claims late last year.
The PKFZ project was mooted during Dr Ling’s term as Transport Minister, and the cost of the project – initially estimated at less than RM2bil – more than doubled to RM4.6bil by 2007.
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