DAP NATIONAL chairman Lim Guan Eng has slammed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for “irresponsibly prioritising” the alleged verbal abuse incident at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) instead of acting against those involved in the RM9 bil littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal.
Lim noted that the Cabinet had instructed Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali to set up an internal committee to investigate Public Service Department director-general Mohd Shafiq Abdullah’s alleged verbal abuse of an Immigration Department officer.
In the Aug 3 incident, an immigration officer on duty at KLIA was allegedly berated in public by Shafiq because no officers were stationed at the VIP room’s counter when the latter arrived.
The PSD, however, rubbished this allegation, saying the claims were “baseless and malicious” and aimed at tarnishing Mohd Shafiq’s image.
Lim said the Government also acted with “surprising speed” by forming a four-member high-level committee, led by Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun, to probe the alleged verbal abuse.
In contrast, Lim said Ismail has yet to make any comment or take any action since the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published a report last week that said not a single LCS had been delivered to the Royal Malaysian Navy, despite more than RM6 bil being paid to the Government.
“If such a high-level committee can be formed over the alleged verbal abuse incident in KLIA, why has a similar high-level committee yet to be formed to act and punish those responsible for the LCS scandal?” Lim asked in a statement today.
The former finance minister clarified that DAP has no qualms if the Government deems such a high-level committee necessary to probe the alleged verbal abuse incident.
“But similar attention and importance should be placed on the LCS scandal when RM 6 bil has been paid without getting even a single ship,” he said.
“Where did the ships go?”
On Friday (Aug 5), PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh revealed that five of the LCS should have been received by August but have not.
The first LCS was contracted to be delivered in April 2019, the second in February 2020, the third in December 2020, the fourth in October 2021, the fifth in August 2022 and the sixth in June 2023.
Lim said Ismail must realise that the issue at hand is one of public importance, and which requires full accountability and transparency.
“The PAC report revealed abuse of power, cheating and even misappropriation of funds.
“RM 6 bil of public funds is a huge sum of money, and would definitely deserve equal, if not more weight, compared to the alleged verbal abuse incident.
“The public wants action against those responsible since all the investigations have been completed by the PAC. Yet, the PAC findings do not even merit the formation of the same high-level committee as the alleged verbal abuse incident.”
Ismail’s “unholy silence and inertia” over the LCS scandal, the Bagan MP added, is a “sad reflection of his lack of a discerning heart” to distinguish between what is right and wrong as well as what should be prioritised to govern the country well. – Aug 8, 2022
Main photo credit: Bernama
