KUALA LUMPUR, 26 Oct 2009: The Port Klang Authority (PKA) today lodged complaints with the relevant professional bodies against three of its consultants involved in the scandal-hit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project.
The PKA said in a statement issued by chairperson Lee Hwa Beng that it had lodged a complaint with the Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board of the Malaysian Bar against Messrs Rashid Asari & Co (RA). RA were the solicitors who had acted for PKA in the PKFZ land purchase and the development agreements between PKA and Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB).
RA had acted for KDSB prior to acting for PKA, the statement said.
“PKA contends that there was professional misconduct on the part of RA in that RA had put itself in a position of conflict of interest, which resulted in bias in favour of KDSB and to the detriment of PKA,” said the statement.
It said PKA had also lodged a complaint with the Quantity Surveyors Board of Malaysia against Perunding BE Sdn Bhd for, amongst others, its failure to “exercise reasonable skill and care in undertaking a proper evaluation of the project costing and in the discharge of its professional responsibilities towards PKA”.
The statement said the third complaint was lodged with the Board of Architects Malaysia against BTA Architect Sdn Bhd, for, amongst others, various representations made negligently to PKA in the exercise of its professional duty as an architect.
PKFZ, a transshipment hub built on a 405-hectare site in Port Klang, is embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that the development cost had shot up from RM2.5 billion to RM4.6 billion.
The PKFZ was an idea mooted by the government in the 1990s to provide improved facilities for international cargo distribution and consolidation at Port Klang, the world’s 16th busiest port.
The government had last month announced an 11-member special task force, headed by Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, to restore the PKFZ project and identify measures for its development.
The task force would, among others, determine the type of misconduct or criminal element on the part of individuals or entities involved in the project, and recommend the action to be taken against them. — Bernama
