PUTRAJAYA, March 16 — Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee will remain as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman despite joining the ruling party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said although the post was allocated to be filled by an opposition member, it was a matter of policy by the government and "not something that is institutionalised or part of a constitution.”

As such, Dr Mahathir said he would not ask the Beluran Member of Parliament (MP) to step down from the post.

"He’ll still be the PAC chairman...he will be there,” he told a press conference after presenting Bersatu membership cards to eight ex-Sabah Umno leaders including Kiandee at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here yesterday.

When asked on Barisan Nasional (BN) proposal to nominate Parit Sulong MP Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad as the new PAC chairman, Dr Mahathir said BN would have to get the majority support for that matter.

On March 12, Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the party wanted Noraini as PAC head and submitted the name before the Dewan Rakyat sitting on the same day, after Kiandee quit the party last December.

Meanwhile, Kiandee told reporters that Dr Mahathir had made it clear that he was not required to resign as PAC chairman.

"The PM said so, that I don’t have to resign. I will resign if he asked me to, but he made it clear that I don’t have to resign. I follow him,” he said. — Bernama