KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — The Speaker of Parliament exceeded his jurisdiction in suspending the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) hearings, committee member  Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar said today.

According to the federal lawmaker, any decision to postpone or cancel the committee’s proceedings — including the investigation on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) — must come from the PAC itself.

“The Standing Orders are clear. Any decision on PAC must be decided by PAC. The secretary of the PAC is responsible towards PAC.

“Any order to postpone or cancel meetings is PAC’s prerogative and the secretary must follow our orders,” he said.

Dewan Rakyat Secretary Datuk Roosme Hamzah, who also doubles as the PAC’s secretary, yesterday issued notices informing committee members to halt further proceedings pending the appointment of a new chairman to replace Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

The Tumpat MP added that disrupting the PAC’s proceedings will have legal implications.

Selayang MP William Leong, who was also present, demanded to know the specific provision in the Standing Orders that permit the Speaker to suspend the PAC’s hearings.

Another PAC member, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, said the Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s decision was in “contempt of the PAC”.

“I was informed by the vice chairman of PAC that he was not informed of the decision.

“Even if there was an intention to suspend, respect the PAC to hold a meeting at least to discuss it,” Pua said.

Parliament yesterday officially sent notices to halt all scheduled hearings on the 1MDB scandal by its PAC for the entire month of August.

No reason was provided for the suspension.

The latest move to halt the PAC inquiry on 1MDB comes in the wake of a separate investigation on key personnel involved in the government’s own special task force probe on the state-owned investment fund.