Please quit as House speaker, you won’t be missed

YOURSAY | ‘Pandikar, most Malaysians will be very happy to see you go.’

Pandikar to quit if 1MDB debate rules ignored

Res Ipsa: This is the best piece of news that we have heard in a long time.

House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, just go and spend your time reflecting on whether you were truly conducting yourself in an independent manner or as a lackey of the ruling party.

Your suspension of Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang speaks volumes about your professionalism and it is pointless putting the blame on the BN MPs since ultimately it is your call that the motion got tabled.

Pemerhati: During the recent almost hour-long Bernama interview Arul Kanda answered extensively questions regarding 1MDB and Pandikar did not say that there as anything wrong with the Q&A session.

Now a similar Q&A session regarding 1MDB is being planned but Pandikar has threatened to resign if it goes ahead.

If Pandikar really means and believes in what he says, then he should resign already because a similar event to the one that is being planned has already taken place.

The fact that Pandikar was very silent during the earlier Q&A session and is creating a big fuss over the planned similar Q&A session suggests that PM Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor have directed this lackey of theirs to scuttle this Q&A session at all cost because they are terrified that some of the truth regarding 1MDB may come out and thus jeopardise their hold on power.

This could also mean that Najib and Rosmah are beginning to doubt that Arul can be trusted to continue to cover-up the alleged theft of 1MDB for them.

Odysseus: Pandikar, please resign now. Most Malaysians will be very happy to see you go. You allowed Arul to brief parties in BN but do not allow him to speak in public.

Are you implying what he said in public is different from what he said in private? You are not consistent here. It's better you resign now.

Kheng: I hope he keeps his word this round. If he resigned, this could very well be a great blessing for all Malaysians who care for and love the country and portend for better things to come for the nation.

Anonymous #40538199: Last time when Pandikar hinted to former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he wanted to resign, everybody was so excited.

Quit PAC to debate 1MDB boss, speaker tells Pua

Bluemountains: Under what authority is Pandikar issuing the order for Petaling Jaya Utara MP to quit from Public Accounts Committee (PAC) if he were to debate Arul?

If he indeed has the authority to do so, Pua should just call it off even if Umno-BN were to make him look like a coward.

Pua must not allow himself to be ‘trapped’ by his opponents. It’s better to live and fight another day.

DramaQueen: I knew after all the ‘wayang’, the debate would never happen. Arul probably knew it and that’s why he agreed to it in order to save face.

Pua, it’s okay. Save your questions for PAC, that is if ever Arul is called in.

AJ: Indeed, all this is a pre-planned drama. Arul and the government know full well the debate will never see the light of day. So they spin it to give the people the perception of transparency, then they shut it down.

Turvy: If Arul is all frisky about a debate, should he not simply give written replies to Pua's questions, ideally through Parliament?

Just Your Normal Rakyat: According to the speaker, parliamentary rules bar testimonies and findings by the PAC from being made public before they are presented to the Dewan Rakyat.

From what I have read, this debate has nothing to do with PAC. The president of 1MDB has yet to be called in by PAC and as such, he has yet to provide his testimony to PAC.

And Pua has already stated that none of the questions asked are based on evidence derived from PAC. So, how can this debate be seen as releasing PAC findings to the public?

Cascara: Arul must have pleaded with Pandikar to save him from embarrassment and BN may have asked him to save the day. This was a no-go right from the start and we all knew it.

Dr Suresh Kumar: Can this speaker please shut up and let the debate-not-talk-show or question-answer drama take place?

Pua challenged Arul for a debate so let the debate go ahead without any precondition attached as it will not jeopardise the PAC's task of investigating 1MDB.

The people want the debate so, Pandikar, please stay out.

RM2.6bilion Duit Haram: The ultimate aim is to get Pua out of PAC. It started with Arul calling on Pua to quit, and this was echoed by a host of Umno and BN leaders.

Finally, the House speaker invented his own rule that if Arul goes on with the debate, he disqualifies himself from appearing in PAC.

Whatever it is, the main aim is to prevent Pua from digging up the truth. Pua must not quit PAC at all costs.

FellowMalaysian: Pandikar said, “This is to maintain transparency in line with House rules.” What balderdash.

If he is concerned about transparency, then he should support the public debate rather than trying to stop it.

And if there is such a House rule, then it is about time you change it if you are serious about being transparent.

Vijay47: Pandikar, the last time I looked, nobody had bestowed divinity upon you, though I am sure you view your present powers as speaker of Parliament as being similar to what God in high heaven wields.

Since Pua is indeed a member of PAC, the rules of which I am not at all familiar with, I concede that he may be barred from indulging in public discussion on 1MDB-related issues.

But tell me, good sir, where in the script does it say that 1MDB's Arul cannot be called as a PAC witness if he participates in the debate? Are PAC witnesses required to be certified virgins?

So until such time as he may be summoned to reveal to that eminent body all that he knows, a development we hardly expect to occur in our lifetime or even yours, is poor Arul expected to live the life of a Trappist monk?

And as to your warning that you might resign in a huff should your commands not be adhered to, please do not make promises that will not be kept. We have been disappointed once too often by you. -Mkini