PETALING JAYA: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) cannot hold proceedings until a new chairman has been appointed, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
He pointed out that Standing Order 77(3) was only applicable when the chairman or vice-chairman could not attend the proceedings for certain reasons, and not when there was a vacancy for the post.
Standing Order 77(3) reads: “In the absence of the Chairman or Vice-Chairman due to illness or for any other reason whatsoever, the Committee shall elect any one member to act as a Chairman to preside over the Committee’s meeting.”
To avoid any dispute or issue over the validity of the PAC proceedings when the chairman’s post became vacant, Pandikar said it was only right for the proceedings to be held after the chairman’s post was filled.
“Also, the three committee members who have been appointed minister and deputy ministers would need to resign and be replaced with new members,” Pandikar said yesterday.
But PAC deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said while the Opposition respected Pandikar’s judgment, they would push on with the meetings.
“Whether or not there are meetings, we (PAC members from the Opposition) will appear to show that we mean business to find out the truth. We really hope the meetings will go on,” Dr Tan said.
Before Tuesday’s Cabinet reshuffle, the PAC had 13 members – eight from Barisan Nasional and five from the Opposition.
Dr Tan said the hearings scheduled for Aug 4-6 could go on with the current five Opposition and four Barisan MPs, who were capable of questioning the 1Malaysia Development Bhd trio summoned by the PAC.
“We just want to know how they spent the money, so you don’t need a balanced line-up of political parties to ask relevant questions.
“The people are concerned about 1MDB, so we are helping them expedite the process instead of waiting for another three months,” said Dr Tan.
This is the first time four PAC members have had to vacate their positions at the same time following their appointments to the government administration.
Yesterday, The Star reported Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee as saying the present structure of PAC members did not reflect the composition of the political parties in Parliament after the departures of the four members, including the chairman.
SENARAI AHLI JAWATANKUASA
AHLI-AHLI JAWATANKUASA KIRA-KIRA WANG NEGARA
DEWAN RAKYAT YANG KETIGA BELAS
Yang Berhormat Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Mohamed
Pengerusi, 18 Julai 2013 - 28 Julai 2015
Ahli Parlimen Pulai
Yang Berhormat Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Mohamed
Pengerusi, 18 Julai 2013 - 28 Julai 2015
Ahli Parlimen Pulai
Yang Berhormat Dr. Tan Seng Giaw
Naib Pengerusi
Ahli Parlimen Kepong
Naib Pengerusi
Ahli Parlimen Kepong
 Yang Berhormat Dato‘ Seri Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican Ahli Parlimen Kepala Batas |  Yang Berhormat Dato‘ Abd Aziz bin Sheikh Fadzir Ahli Parlimen Kulim Bandar Baru |  Yang Berhormat Datuk Mas Ermieyati binti Samsudin Ahli Parlimen Masjid Tanah |  Yang Berhormat Datuk Liang Teck Meng Ahli Parlimen Simpang Renggam |
 Yang Berhormat Datuk Madius Tangau Ahli Parlimen Tuaran |  Yang Berhormat Tuan Haji Hasbi bin Habibollah Ahli Parlimen Limbang |  Yang Berhormat Datuk Wee Jeck Seng Ahli Parlimen Tanjung Piai |  Yang Berhormat Dato‘ Kamarul Baharin bin Abbas Ahli Parlimen Telok Kemang |
 Yang Berhormat Tuan William Leong Jee Ken Ahli Parlimen Selayang |  Yang Berhormat Dato‘ Haji Kamarudin bin Jaffar Ahli Parlimen Tumpat |  Yang Berhormat Tuan Tony Pua Kiam Wee Ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara |
