TAN: RCI NOT NEEDED FOR ‘EVERY MISHAP’
Federal Constitution is adequate to settle issues, says ex-PAC vice-chairman
FORMER Public Accounts Committee vice-chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said there is no need to start a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) for “every single mishap” in the country.
He said the Federal Constitution, which defined the rule of law and separation of powers, was adequate to settle issues and the establishment of any RCI should be based on “meaningful criteria”.
“Is the government ruled by RCI? Do we need an RCI for every mishap? You can’t have an RCI about every issue, otherwise the whole administration will just be working on RCIs.
“There must be some sort of standard, for example, issues involving more than RM1 billion or more than RM20 million. Otherwise, other methods of investigations should be explored,” he said.
The veteran DAP member said this in response to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recommendation to the Pakatan Harapan government to set up an RCI for the Goods and Services Tax and other tax issues immediately, because they involved RM35 billion in government funds.
Tan said the government must get to the bottom of such issues as nobody should misuse public funds.
“Having said that, if you want to accuse people of misappropriation of funds, find the evidence and charge them in court,” he said.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng recently announced that RM16.046 billion in tax refunds had not been returned by the Inland Revenue Board over the past six years.
The refunds involved 1,653,786 cases of companies, individuals, societies and foundations.