Ipoh theme park: Quit politics if 'annoyed' about accountability, ex-MB told

Former Perak menteri besar Zambry Abdul Kadir should quit politics to start "a personal business" if he is annoyed about being held accountable for decisions he made while in office, said Keranji assemblyperson Chong Zemin.

This was with regard to a questionable deal to build a theme park in Ipoh.

"If Zambry feels annoyed about answering questions on decisions that he made while he was in office, I would suggest to him that he quit politics and start a personal business so he need not be accountable to anybody.

"Zambry as the former menteri besar and the chairperson of the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP) cannot wash his hands off the Movie Animation Park Studios (Maps) project (because)... the PKNP group practiced a centralised decision-making process during the previous management," Chong said in a press statement today.

The project in question involves Perak Corporation Berhad's (PCB) joint venture with RSG Maps Sdn Bhd to build an animation theme park.

The vehicle for the company was Animation Theme Park Sdn Bhd (ATP), in which RSG Maps Sdn Bhd owned a 49 percent stake while PCB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary PCB Development Berhad (PCBD), held a 51 percent stake.

Chong had earlier pointed out that the cost of the project was initially placed at RM390 million, but it subsequently ballooned to RM607 million.

Furthermore, he said PCBD took the undertaking to be fully responsible for all the additional funding.

Chong (photo), who led the internal audit committee to look into the deal, had previously said that Zambry should be held responsible for the construction cost of Maps increasing by over RM200 million.

He had also called for Zambry to explain why he allowed PCBD to be solely responsible for the additional funding of Maps by approving three shareholder advance agreements, totalling RM250 million.

Zambry had lashed out at Chong yesterday, accusing the assemblyperson of subjecting him to a "trial by media".

'Stating facts'

Chong clarified today that his statements for the past few days questioning Zambry and the Maps project were based on the special internal audit report on the project, which has been completed and is publicly available on the Bursa Malaysia website.

"How is stating facts from the internal audit report and questioning the decisions made in the Maps project considered subjecting him (Zambry) to a trial by media?

"What I did was merely question the decisions made on the Maps project and the lopsided agreement - the RM250 million shareholder advance agreement which PCBD was made to sign," Chong said.

He also pointed out that Zambry did not answer his question on whether he was aware of the financial problems of Maps' main contractor Sanderson Design Group (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, as well as the RM250 million shareholder advances.

"It is impossible for Zambry as the menteri besar and PKNP group chairperson (at the time) to be totally unaware of the issues and problems in the Maps project,” Chong said.

He urged Zambry to “stop diverting” attention from the project's cost overrun and explain the decision to sign the shareholder advance agreement.

Zambry had reportedly said he was not the chairperson of PCB at the time.

"“I was only the chairperson of PKNP through my position as the menteri besar.

"PCB is a public-listed company that is monitored closely by Bursa Malaysia. It cannot make any decision without going through proper procedures and permission," he said.