KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — The Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition today cried foul after Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul allowed the government to debate the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report in Parliament.
Opposition Chief Whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan told a news conference that the government had gone against convention in pushing for the debate and demanded it follow the rules.
“A few days ago, we were told that a Bill will be proposed by the government, specifically from a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for the National Audit Report 2021 to be debated.
“Article 107(1) of the Federal Constitution states that the Auditor-General shall submit his reports to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the report shall be presented before the Dewan Rakyat.
“We argue that the Auditor-General's report, based on Article 107(1) relating to federal ministries, should only be presented on the table of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat,” he told reporters at Parliament this afternoon.
Takiyuddin, who is also Kota Bharu MP, claimed that the Auditor-General’s reports have never been presented in the Dewan Rakyat for debate in the past.
“On that basis, we are of the view that the motion to allow the Auditor-General's 2021 report to be debated is against the Standing Orders and the Federal Constitution,” he said.
The PAS secretary-general said the Opposition is not against debating the Auditor-General’s report, but is only asking the government to follow the rules in doing so.
Fellow Opposition MP for Masjid Tanah Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin from Bersatu who was also at the same news conference claimed the Speaker’s decision to allow the purportedly unprecedented debate undermines the role of the Public Accounts Committee that she chairs.
