PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: The probe into the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal is under way, with international accounting firm Price-waterhouseCoopers beginning auditing work early this month.

Port Klang Authority chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng said the probe would be completed by the end of the year, and a copy of the report will be submitted to Transport Minis-ter Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

'It will be up to the Transport Minister to decide if the report will be made public,' he said. Lee said the accounting firm's team, which consisted six members and led by a senior manager, had been given authority to interview all staff and board members.

He added that former staff would be interviewed by the team as well, should the need arise. Ong had announced in May that an audit exercise would be carried out follow-ing a public outcry on the RM4.6bil (S$2.688 billion) 'soft loan' given by the Government.