KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — With Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek due to testify before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) next month, the DAP beseeched today Dewan Rakyat’s Speaker to table a proposal that will fast-track the parliamentary panel hearing to be broadcast “live” to the public.

In a statement today, the opposition party’s national publicity secretary Tony Pua lauded the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) decision last week in a bid to promote transparency and give more bite to the parliamentary audit committee.

“However, it is feared that the Parliamentary Standing Orders which prohibits ‘live’ hearings under Rule 85 cannot be amended in time for the session,” he said.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP urged Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, who also heads the lower house’s Standing Orders Committee, to table a proposal to speed up the process in time for Ahmad Shabery’s testimony on November 14.

“We look forward to a speedy response from the Speaker and the Standing Orders Committee, as well as a bipartisan effort from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to allow the Malaysian Parliament to take a very important baby step towards ‘becoming the best democracy in the world’ as envisioned by Dato’ Seri Najib Razak,” Pua added.

Seeking to shed PAC’s “toothless tiger” reputation, Nur Jazlan had announced last Thursday its decision to haul up six ministries for explanation over the various financial discrepancies found in the 2012 Auditor-General report.

The first to be hauled up will be the Youth and Sports Ministry that had then been led by Ahmad Shabery over a questionable sponsorship deal involving a K-Pop concert in 2012, said to have cost RM1.6 million.

Other government agencies that will be summoned to testify are the Transport Ministry, the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), the Royal Custom, the Home Ministry and the Education Ministry.

The Home Ministry will have to answer to the loss of RM1.33 million worth of police assets including firearms and the latter to face query over the national schools security fiasco that cost taxpayers a whopping RM2 billion.

“I believe the amount is small but this is an issue involving public confidence towards the police so it’s good to make them explain,” Nur Jazlan had said after chairing the panel’s second meeting for the new term here.