Wee: Corruption claims just mud-slinging

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng says police reports against him for alleged corruption in the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) project is a politically-motivated act by his opponents in the Tanjung Piai by-election.

This was similar to what happened during the Rantau by-election, where police reports alleging corruption in the purchase of an apartment overseas were made against Barisan candidate Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, said the Barisan Nasional candidate.

“When the Rantau by-election was completed, MACC subsequently cleared him and his opponents stopped raising this allegation as an issue.

“Please bear in mind that these allegations made against me on the VEP project are not new, and the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has already held three hearings since March of this year, ” he said in a statement.

Wee said many of the allegations currently being spread were untrue and had already been answered in the 2017 Auditor-General’s Report.

He gave the example of the claim that the winning company only had RM35 in the bank account, saying that according to the A-G’s Report, the company had proven it had more than RM3mil in funds, surpassing the minimum required amount.

The claims that the operating expenses had been hugely inflated was also wrong, as this was due to a significant increase in scope, including a more than doubling of capacity in several requirements.

He added that the audit report said the project had collected more than RM177mil in revenue for the government in entry fees since it was implemented in 2016 up to June 2018.

“To clear any doubt, I was never a director in the company and I am no longer a shareholder.

“I have never been involved in any abuse of power and the misappropriation of public funds, and I am confident that the PAC and the police will eventually clear my name.

“I urge my opponents in this by-election to fight fairly based on ideas, policies and our commitment to the rakyat.