KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — Four Pakatan Rakyat (MPs) were newly named today as members in Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), bringing the total number of opposition representatives in the bipartisan panel to five.
Initial speculation was that Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia would announce up to six PR members in the PAC but only the four were announced today - Teluk Kemang MP Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas and Selayang MP William Leong Jee Ken from PKR, Tumpat MP Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar from PAS, and Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua from DAP.
Kepong MP Dr Tan Seng Giaw from DAP was already named as deputy chairman of the committee in July, together with chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed from Barisan Nasional (BN).
Other BN MPs named were Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican (BN-Kepala Batas), Datuk Chua Tee Yong (BN-Labis), Datuk Abd Aziz Sheikh Fadzir (BN-Kulim Bandar Baru), Liang Teck Meng (BN-Simpang Renggam), Datuk Madius Tangau (BN-Tuaran), Hasbi Habibollah (BN-Limbang), and Datuk Wee Jeck Seng (BN-Tanjung Piai).
The committee’s chairman and vice-chairman were appointed by the House, while its members should also consists between six and 12 members to be nominated by the committee of selection, according to Parliament rules.
The PAC’s composition revealed today is said to reflect the composition of Parliament where the ruling coalition holds 133 seats against the federal opposition’s 89 seats.
It is understood that the opposition was seeking an eight to six formula for the PAC line-up.
Among the functions of the PAC is to examine the accounts of the Federation and the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet the public expenditure.
In its first sitting, the PAC is expected to examine the role of Putrajaya’s investment arm Khazanah Nasional in the delay of the KLIA2 project.
Pandikar also announced the names of members for three other committees: the committees of Standing Order, House, and Rights and Privileges.
