Decision to postpone PAC probe does not consider public feelings, claims Tan

PETALING JAYA: The decision to postpone the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) probe on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) until Oct has not taken the feelings of the public into consideration, claims Dr Tan Seng Giaw.

The PAC deputy chairman said that although Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had stressed that the government does not intend to delay the investigation, the public wanted the committee to continue the probe without interruption.

A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday resolved not to convene a special sitting of Parliament to appoint a PAC chairman to replace Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who was recently appointed Deputy Home Minister.

It said that a chairman would only be appointed on the first day of the third parliament meeting on Oct 19.

The PAC investigation on 1MDB came to a halt when Nur Jazlan and three other members – Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Wilfred Madius Tangau – were appointed minister and deputy ministers in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

On Aug 3, Parliament postponed the PAC’s scheduled hearings of 1MDB, which were scheduled to begin on Aug 4.

1MDB received a notification letter from the Dewan Rakyat secretary that the hearings, set for August as well as Sept 8 and 10, had been postponed.

Tan also reiterated that according to the house Standing Orders, the PAC only needed a minimum of six and a maximum of 12 members.

“The quorum is four. We have nine members. Since the Speaker has made a ruling, we need a special parliamentary session to appoint the PAC chairman,”

Quoting Standing Order 77(3), the PAC had said that the committee could elect any member as chairman to preside over PAC meetings in absence of the chairman or deputy chairman due to illness or any other reasons. 

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has, however, said that 77(3) is not applicable when the post is vacant.