by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 28th June 1991:
Datuk Najib is the latest Barisan Nasional leader is trying to disclaim Ministerial responsibility public accountability over the $70 million Masjid Tanah ammunition dump scandal
The Defence Minister, Datuk Najib Tun Razak, is the latest Barisan Nasional leader who is trying to disclaim Ministerial responsibility and public accountability over the $70 million Masjid Tanah ammunition dump scandal in Malacca.
Datuk Najib said the Defence Ministry is not totally responsible for the construction of the $70 million “unsafe” ammunition depot as the award of the government contracts was a multi-ag process.
This is too weak an excuse. Some person must finally full responsibility for the project despite the fact of multi-ag involvement.
Can Datuk Najib then say which person must assume over responsibility in terms of Ministerial responsibility and public accountability?
Or he is saying that other Ministers are more to blame the Masjid Tanah ammunition dump scandal?
It is regrettable that Datuk Najib, as Minister Defence, had failed to present a Ministerial Statement on the Masjid Tanah ammunition dump scandal to Parliament, although the Dewan Rakyat had been sitting for two weeks.
The people, in particular the residents of Masjid Tanah in Malacca, are entitled to know the full facts of the Masjid Tanah ammunition dump scandal, and in particular the identities of contractor and consultant responsible for the scandal, as well as government officials involved in the scandal.
The answer the Defence Minister must provide is whether political personalities from Barisan Nasional are involved in $70 million Masjid Tanah ammunition dump scandal, and if so, who they ?