Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday denied an allegation by the prosecution that he was not being truthful when testifying in the hearing of former Transport Minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, who is charged with cheating the government.
Dr Mahathir, who was called to testify as the fourth defence witness, said he was being truthful although there were times when he may not used the accurate words when responding to questions by deputy public prosecutor Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah.
He said some of the terms on cash counting, contract value and special valuation were too technical for him to understand as he was not an accountant.
Tun Majid had questioned Dr Mahathir’s testimony during yesterday’s cross-examination as he (Tun Majid) claimed that it was inconsistent with the one made during examination in chief in October last year.
During the cross-examination yesterday, Tun Majid questioned Dr Mahathir on the value of land, whether the RM25 psf was cash price or contract value.
Tun Majid: “The word cash, no need to be an accountant, doctor or lawyer. Even a schoolboy knows the word. Were you not truthful?”
Dr Mahathir: “I beg your pardon. I am being truthful.
“I merely said I may have used the terms inaccurately because I was not familiar with these terms.
“Schoolboys understand cash but do not understand cash price, contract price, purchase price and special price.
“I am as good as a schoolboy at that time.”
At yesterday’s proceeding, Dr Mahathir also told the court that the proposed purchase land price for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project submitted by Dr Ling was much lower than the price which was re-evaluated by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH).
He said based on a letter, dated June 29th, 2002, sent to him by Dr Ling, the land purchase rate was RM25psf, while the re-evaluated price by JPPH on October 2000 was RM25 psf.
Dr Mahathir also told the court that Dr Ling did not mislead him.
He said PKFZ project was an urgent matter and the cabinet had finally decided to buy the land from a property owner in 2002.
“It was delayed for over three years.
The Attorney-General had commented on the hanky panky about the project, there were ideas of compulsory acquisition and there were a lot appeals,” he added.
He said Jebel Ali (an investor) had pulled out and the government lost billions of ringgit.
Dr Ling, 70, who was Transport Minister for 17 years from 1986, is charged with cheating the government by not disclosing to the Cabinet, an additional interest rate of 7.5 per cent per annum on the purchase price of the land for the PKFZ project, knowing that it had been fixed at RM1,088,456,000 by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH), based on RM25 psf, inclusive of the coupon/interest rates.
He also faced two alternative (amended) charges of cheating and intentionally not disclosing to the Cabinet that the 7.5 per cent per annum was an additional interest rate on the land price.
He was alleged to have committed the offences at the fourth floor of the Prime Minister’s Office, Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya, between Sept 25 and Nov 6, 2002.
The hearing before Judge Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi continues today. — Bernama