Opposition MP to continue leading PAC, says law minister

A new Public Accounts Committee chairman will be appointed during the Dewan Rakyat sitting on May 18.

PUTRAJAYA: The Perikatan Nasional government has decided to maintain the practice of the former Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration of appointing an MP from the opposition to lead the bipartisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of legal affairs Takiyuddin Hassan said the new PAC chairman would be appointed during the May 18 sitting.

“I hope the opposition bloc will nominate one of their MPs,” he told reporters at his office today.

“The deputy chairman will be appointed from among the backbenchers.”

Parit Sulong MP Noraini Ahmad was PAC chairman under the PH administration. She resigned after she was appointed as higher education minister.

Ipoh Timur MP Wong Kah Woh was her deputy.

Takiyuddin also said the PN government would be appointing members of the select committee on May 18 to replace the previous members.

The committee will be chaired by Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamed Ariff Md Yusoff and consist of five government MPs as well as the opposition leader.

“Port Dickson will be named as the new opposition leader on the first day,” he said referring to Anwar Ibrahim.

The government will also table two additional supply bills for first reading on May 18.

“The bills will go for the second and third readings on July 13. The debate on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal speech will also resume in July,” Takiyuddin said, adding that the Dewan Rakyat will sit for 15 days then. - FMT