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The Star
by Ng Si Hooi & Ng Cheng Yee
KUALA LUMPUR: The panel set up to investigate allegations of a snoop squad to
purge dissidents in the MCA has found no basis to the allegations.
The panel comprising party veterans Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum and Tan Sri Michael
Chen and senior lawyer Roger Tan also concluded that party president Datuk Seri
Ong Ka Ting and other leaders were not involved in the setting up of the alleged
three-man snoop squad.
The allegation by Petaling Jaya Utara MCA division adviser Wong Leong that
RM10,000 a month was paid to Tee Ann Chuan, the man in the centre of the snoop
squad, was found to be unproven.
The investigating panel presented their findings to the presidential council at
MCA headquarters here on Tuesday. The summary has been posted on the MCA website
(www.mca.org.my).
MCA deputy president Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy read out a statement, on behalf of
the presidential council later, expressing “its disapproval, in the strongest
terms, over the allegations and unfair accusations that had been made against
the party and its leaders.”
"The council warns members against making further statements pertaining to the
case as the inquiry has proven there has been no basis to such claims.”
In April, Wong, a veteran MCA member, claimed that a three-man committee had
been informed by Ong to discredit his rivals and in response, the presidential
council set up a panel to investigate the allegations.
Witnesses testified that the squad was allegedly set up in October 2005 and
ordered to compile information “targets” which is to include rivals to the
leadership including former Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and
vice-president Datuk Donald Lim.
Wong named Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, Deputy Youth and Sports
Minister Wee Jeck Seng and former youth leader Tee Ann Chuan as members of the
snoop squad. They denied the allegations at the inquiry and in several media
statements.
Former Damansara Utama assemblyman Datuk Lim Choon Kim testified that he had
been recruited as a squad member while former Serdang MP Datuk Yap Pian Hon
claimed a member of the squad had sought his help.
In the seven-page summary of the report, the panel, in clearing Ong’s name said:
“We are mindful that this is our conclusion, then it can be interpreted that
someone is not telling the truth.
"We agree and this is often the case, when it is someone’s word against the
other. We find that the testimonies of Choon Kim and Pian Hon have not
corroborated wholly with Wong Leong’s statement,” they said, adding that Tee had
appeared before the panel although he was not an MCA member.
The panel also concluded that Wong was “a not helpful and cooperative witness”
who did not allow himself to be cross-examined by the panel on his statement.
In the summary, the panel said Donald admitted that the existence of a spy group
was “based on hearsay” and “he agreed that he not only had political enemies but
also business enemies who might want to end his political career as he had
fought many ‘wars’ before.”
The panel said “no evidence” was presented to the panel “to show that there were
acts calculated to destroy the political career of Donald save for the mere
speculation that he would not be made a deputy minister if elected.”
It also reported that when Dr Chua testified on May 21, the former
vice-president said he did not hear anything about Tee being paid a salary by
Ong or that Ong was involved, adding that Dr Chua had said he only heard of a
“two-man squad.”
The panel, however, concluded that there was evidence to show that Tee had
travelled to some parts of the country, met MCA grassroots members to gather
political information but “as to his motive and objective, these are only known
to himself.”
The panel also dismissed the allegations that the alleged secret group had
operated on the 16th floor of the Youth and Sports Ministry, where Liow’s office
was located, saying “it does not make sense” to operate in such a “busy premises
without being noticed.”
It also pointed out that many youth organisations visited the place, adding that
there was no evidence of a three-man secret committee operating there.
At the press conference, Chan also said that the presidential council decided
that they should look into whether or not to refer those who had make the
accusations to the party disciplinary council in the next meeting.
Earlier, Ong, Donald, Liow and Wee voluntarily left the presidential council
meeting before the discussion of the findings, chaired by Chan, started.
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