‘Amendments needed to open PAC proceedings to public’

order to open the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings to the public, some amendments need to be implemented, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

He said an amendment was required for Order 85 of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat.

“On top of that, we still have the Rights and Privileges Act (Section 9), which has a provision limiting open public hearing.

“So until the report is presented, the evidence heard before a committee is still confidential.

“We need to have that changed, before we can change Order 85,” he said after a presentation of Janab Law Series and University Cum Court Annexed Arbitration Scheme Book event yesterday.

Ariff said he was open to other alternatives.

“As a general principle, it should be confidential but with a possibility of making it open to the public.

“Or just like how some other countries have done, where the proceedings are open but subject to exceptions. This is a policy matter.”

On Tuesday, PAC deputy chairman Wong Kah Woh said there were calls for the committee to open the proceedings to the public.

However, he said, PAC was bound by Order 85 and Section 9 of the Parliament Rights and Privileges Act, which prohibited the committee from doing so.