KUALA LANGAT: It is not a legal requirement for the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman to come from the opposition bloc, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
It was merely a promise that Pakatan Harapan had made, he added.
“This is not a legal matter and it is a promise made by Pakatan Harapan (to appoint an opposition lawmaker as PAC chief),” he said, adding that the change can be made anytime.
“We will stick to our promise,” he told reporters after launching the Primary Industries Ministry’s
“Love MY Palm Oil” campaign at the Sime Darby Plantations in Carey Island near here yesterday.
He was responding to a query about Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee who is still PAC chief although he is no longer in the opposition.
Kiandee, who is Beluran MP, was appointed as the PAC chairman last August when he was still in Umno.
However, he jumped ship and joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia earlier this month.
Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izah Anwar of PKR also resigned from the PAC recently, a move which was believed to be in protest of the
government’s decision to retain the PAC chair.
The lawmaker had tweeted on March 15 that the position of the PAC chairman must be filled by the Opposition to pursue accountability of the Executive.
Subang MP Wong Chen disclosed on Saturday that PAC members had written to the Prime Minister of their dissenting views about Kiandee remaining in the position. He said that the PAC chief should preferably be an opposition MP.
Dr Mahathir said Kiandee will remain PAC chairman until a suitable candidate is found.
On another matter, Dr Mahathir said only the good provisions will be accepted from international treaties, such as the Rome Statute and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).
He was asked to comment on Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar’s remark that attempting to ratify Icerd as well as signing the Rome Statute will undermine the special positions of the Malays and Islam.
Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah had signed the Instrument of Accession to the Rome Statute of the International criminal Court on March 4.
According to Dr Mahathir, Malaysia will only ratify treaties subject to conditions set in the country.He said there were certain things under the international conventions that cannot be done in Malaysia, and this included giving absolute freedom to “everybody to do all kinds of things”.
“There are now men marrying men and women marrying women.
“They are very funny people and we don’t want to be funny like them,’’ said Dr Mahathir.
He said such provisions will not be accepted by Malaysia, which will only accept good provisions.
Wisma Putra had stated that Malaysia’s accession to the Rome Statute is part of its commitment to combat international crimes for global peace and security.
