Opposition out as long as Kiandee remains in
KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MPs, who made up one-third of Public Accounts Committee (PAC), have “resigned” pending the replacement of Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee as the committee chairman.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said the move by Parit Sulong MP Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad, Jasin MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah and Kota Baru MP Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan was to signal their objection to Kiandee’s holding of the post.
“We will not remain in PAC until the government gives the position to the opposition,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
There are 12 PAC members – eight representatives from Pakatan Harapan, two from Barisan Nasional, and one each from PAS and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.
Ismail noted that Kiandee was previously with Umno, “but after he decided to become a Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) member, the Prime Minister said Kiandee would remain as PAC chairman, which is clearly against their election manifesto”.
“The whole point of appointing a chairman from the opposition is so that there is more effective check and balance for certain cases from the government,” he added.
Ismail said after a meeting by Barisan MPs, they decided to propose Dr Noraini as PAC chairman, adding: “The Barisan letter dated March 1 was sent out to inform the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, but there was no response.”
Pakatan, he said, would have full powers in PAC now that the chairman and deputy chairman posts were held by their party members.
Ismail pointed out that even Pakatan MPs objected to Kiandee’s helming of the PAC: “Permatang Pauh MP (Nurul Izzah Anwar) disagreed, Hannah Yeoh disagreed, Segambut MP (Datuk Seri Dr Edmund Santhara Kumar) and Subang MP (Sivarasa Rasiah) also disagreed. In fact, PKR leaders who aren’t in Parliament like N. Surendran also disagreed.”
Takiyuddin, who was also present during the press conference, said there was no need for Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to look for a candidate.
“Umno has the most number of opposition leaders. They have the right to propose the name of the PAC chairman,” he said.
Earlier, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said: “For me, Pakatan has broken its own promise that the PAC chairman be held by the opposition.”
By maintaining Kiandee as PAC chief even after he jumped to Bersatu, the ruling party has clearly broken its election manifesto promise, Dr Wee told reporters.
Pakatan, he said, had made a lot of sweet promises to the people during the general election but now claimed that their manifesto was not the “holy scripture”’.
Dr Mahathir described the resignation of the three opposition MPs from PAC as “their own business”.
“It’s alright. If they want to resign, they can do so. It’s their own business,” Bernama quoted him as telling reporters in Alor Setar about the resignation of the two Barisan and one PAS representatives from PAC.