I am shocked to learn in the Star this morning that Puchong MP, YB Gobind Singh Deo, did meet the complainant over the sand mining scandal as early as February 2010 and he took up the matter with the state exco member YB Ronnie Liew, who holds the local council portfolio. Incidentally, YB Ronnie Liew is also the “Adun Angkat” for Dengkil, the sand mining town in Selangor. YB Ronnie Liew was appointed as “Adun Angkat” for Dengkil because BN won the Dengkil state seat in 2008 and YB Ronnie Liew was given the responsibility to look after the area.
SELCAT should have been formally informed about this scandal in February 2010 and SELCAT should immediately investigate it if the Selangor State Government genuinely believes in the principles of “COMPETENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY”.
For reasons best known to YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, the Menteri Besar, and his exco members, nothing was done for almost four months. When YB Manikavasagam, MP for Kapar, exposed the scandal, the immediate respond from YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was to challenge YB Manikavasagam to lodge a police report regarding the scandal. When YB Manikavasagam, lodged a police report on the scandal then YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim came out with another lame excuse that YB Manikavasagam should have brought up the scandal for discussion internally in the party.
I would like to remind YAB Tan Sri Khlaid Ibnrahim that when the issue of the Selangor State Government involvement in the Talam Bhd’s debt worth more than RM300 million was brought up internally in PKR, the issue was never discussed but “swept under the carpet”! However, when it broke out in the open, the rakyat was given the impression that it was discussed and again the rakyat was given another dose of “all is well” medication.
It was far too late in the day for YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to refer this sand mining scandal to SELCAT yesterday because YB Ronnie Liew, who is the exco member in Selangor and also the “Adun Angkat” for Dengkil, was formally informed about it “INTERNALLY” in February 2010 by the MP for Puchong, and no investigation was commenced by the Selangor State Government until yesterday (12 May 2010) . It was clear that SELCAT was a “dead CAT” from February 2010 till May 12, 2010 (a good approximate four months!).
Due to this undue delay, YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim cannot blame anyone for suspecting that there was a cover-up for this sand mining scandal and referring it to SELCAT at this stage will be seen as an attempt at damage control.
Under the circumstances, I find YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim referring this scandal to SELCAT for investigation at this stage is not only totally unacceptable but must be condemned. I am sure that YB Lim Kit Siang and other PR leaders will agree with me that this scandal should be investigated by another body comprising of independent people, who are not involved with the Selangor Government and known supporters of PR. Of course, if I were to go by YB Lim Kit Siang’s usual standard then the Selangor Government itself must take immediate steps to initiate the setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate this scandal in order to conform with the principles of good governance.
In the interim, YAB Tan Sri Khalid Inbrahim is duty bound to explain why the Selangor State Government did not take any action to investigate this scandal when YB Ronnie Liew had knowledge of it as early as February 2010.
