Nur Jazlan: I didn’t sell out

PETALING JAYA: Former Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (pic), who is facing criticism for accepting a deputy minister’s post, is refuting claims that he has “sold out”.

“It’s not fair to accuse me of such things.

“For me, I have moved from the legislature to the executive and the job at the ministry is more challenging than the PAC,” said the Pulai MP and new Deputy Home Minister.

“I am moving on, so what’s the problem?”

He insisted he was “still the same person” and hoped to carry out his duties in the ministry as well as he had done in the PAC.

He added that the PAC had been functioning for decades before him.

“I just did my job with the support of my committee members, which people thought was good. The PAC will continue its work under a new chairman,” he said.

Asked if the PAC could proceed without a chairman, Nur Jazlan noted that the bipartisan parliamentary committee could go on when the replacements for the vacated chairman and members’ posts had been identified.

“The selection will be done when Parliament sits in October. Be patient.”

Apart from Nur Jazlan, the three other members appointed following Tuesday’s Cabinet reshuffle were Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau.

The PAC, along with the Auditor-General and the high-level special task force, has played a prominent role in its probe into 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

1MDB president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy and former chief executive officers Datuk Shahrol Halmi and Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman had been scheduled to appear before the PAC next month.

The committee had also wanted businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, to show up in September.