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Ong Ka Ting should not  just lodge a police report  to clear his name but get the Cabinet to establish a public commission of inquiry into the veracity or falsity of specific allegations against him as the “ring-leader” of  “black gold” politics in MCA


Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

(Penang,  Wednesday): MCA Vice President and Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting has lodged a police report in  Kuala Lumpur over the circulation of “a poison-pen letter tarnishing his image”. (Star) 

Ong, who said he wanted the police to investigate who was behind the “wild allegations and evil intentions”, said: “I demand justice to clear my name.” 

However, Ong should not  just lodge a police report about the “poison-pen letter”  but should  get the Cabinet to establish a public commission of inquiry to clear his name of alleged  implication to “black gold” politics in MCA, which is clearly the entire thrust of the “poison-pen letter” campaign against him. 

Quoting an aide to Ong, New Straits Times reported  that several poison-pen letters were circulated in recent weeks – which were written in Chinese and defamatory of MCA  leaders and libellous. 

NST quoted Ong as saying: “Whatever said in the poison-pen letter is all false and done in bad faith. I want the police to investigate and identify the perpetrators.” 

The poison-pen letters against Ong had been extensively circulated publicly, and I have seen one circulated in Penang alleging that he  is the “ring-leader” of MCA “black-gold politics”, which named names and gave specific instances and incidents  purportedly to be proof of triad involvement in MCA politics, particularly in Penang and Selangor, in the three-page Chinese statement.  The poison-pen letter referred to the two names which the MCA Youth leader, Datuk Ong Tee Kiat had given to the Acting Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to substantiate his allegation of “black-gold” politics in MCA. 

Public interest demands full and thorough investigation not only into the “perpetrators” of the poison-pen letters but the truth or otherwise of the detailed and specific allegations of “black gold” politics in MCA and the allegation against Ong as its “ring-leader”. 

Ong should ask the Cabinet to commission a  public inquiry  to fully clear his name by investigating into all the allegations in the poison-letters against him about being the “ring-leader” of “black-gold” politics in MCA, instead of waiting for the contents of some of these poison-pen letters to be raised in Parliament.

(7/5/2003)


* Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman