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Media Statement (3)

by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Tuesday) :The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should table a White Paper in Parliament to lay out the full  history, background,  facts and reasons  to answer the serious charges of former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that the present Cabinet has “surrendered national sovereignty” in the decision to scrap the construction of the RM1.1 billion crooked half-bridge to replace Malaysia’s part of the Johore-Singapore causeway.

Mahathir has made very grave allegations casting aspersions not just on the judgment, but the very loyalty, patriotism  and national commitment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers which cannot go unanswered – as when Mahathir  said that he could not keep quiet “if somebody wants to sell Malaysia to other people”.

Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar has declined to give all available information about the full history, background, facts and reasons  about the RM1.1 billion crooked half bridge on the ground that “it is not proper for us to go into a debate with a former prime minister, a senior statesman, for whom we all have great respect”.

This is not a private argument between two persons or parties, but an important national issue involving the principles of accountability, transparency, integrity,  good governance and, according to the former Prime Minister, national sovereignty.

There are many questions surrounding the genesis, costing, decision, award and negotiations between Malaysia and Singapore concerning the RM1.1 billion crooked half-bridge which Malaysians are entitled to answers, for instance:

• Why was Gerbang Perdana selected as the contractor for the RM1.1 billion crooked half-bridge and the RM1.2 billion customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex?
   
• Who was responsible for the terms of the contract which has imposed on the taxpayers the burden of compensating Gerbang Perdana some RM100 million for the cancellation of the crooked half-bridge project? What are the other other hidden costs to the taxpayers.
   
• Why did the Cabinet “”unanimously decide” to construct the crooked half-bridge under Mahathir’s premiership and ”unanimously decided” to scrap the project under  Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s premiership?

(18/04/2006)