PAC’s 1MDB proceedings to begin on Monday

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will begin the proceedings on its probe into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) on Monday.

PAC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang would be summoned as the first witness to appear before the committee.

“The 1MDB proceedings will start on Monday and 20 witnesses will be summoned to testify.

“The proceedings will be long,” he said at Parliament yesterday.

On a separate matter, Kiandee said the committee was expected to conclude its probe into the shortfall of the RM19.4 billion of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund by the end of the current Parliament sitting.

“We have called former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and we will be calling Customs Department director-general Datuk Seri T. Subromaniam.”

On whether Irwan would be called again, Wong said Irwan was called twice and the committee was done questioning him.

“We have got the testimony needed from him.”

He said apart from Ambrin, former finance minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was slated to appear before the committee tomorrow and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on Oct 30.

“We hope to conclude the case by end of this session before making a conclusion and table our findings to Parliament.”

PAC deputy chairman Wong Kah Woh said there were calls for the committee to open the proceedings to the public and media.

“In fact, the chairman and I, as well as PAC members, believe that apart from those touching on security issues, the proceedings shall be open (to the public),” he said.

“However, at the moment, we are tied up by Order 85 and Section 9 of the Parliament Rights and Privileges Act, which prohibit us from doing so.

“Nevertheless, efforts are being made (to have open proceedings) and we all feel that things should be open (in efforts) to be a First World Parliament.”