New PAC chief more concerned with shutting up Pua, says DAP

Newly-minted Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Hasan Arifin is more concerned about "shutting up" MP Tony Pua on 1MDB than completing the PAC probes into the troubled state fund, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said.

"Hasan seemed more interested in shutting up DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP and PAC member Tony Pua from speaking about the 1MDB scandal than completing the derailed PAC investigations and getting to the bottom of the RM2.6 billion 'donation' and 1MDB twin mega scandals," he said in his speech at the DAP Bakri Anniversary dinner in Muar, Johor last night.

He questioned if the "brief" given to Hasan before he was proposed as the PAC chairperson was to stop Pua from speaking up about the two issues.

Hasan has even twisted Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia's order that Pua must either quit the PAC or abstain from investigations if he wanted to debate 1MDB boss Arul Kanda Kandasamy, Lim (photo) said.

The PAC chairperson had said that Pua can no longer speak publicly about 1MDB, based on Pandikar's order.

"Hasan is clearly twisting the speaker's words, as Pandikar had told Pua in Parliament that he could talk on 1MDB if he did not touch on the PAC's 1MDB prove.

"Pua had repeated umpteenth times that he had never made use of any classified information which he had obtained as a member of PAC," Lim pointed out.

However, Pandikar should also clarify whether he had indeed imposed a blanket ban on Pua from speaking on 1MDB, he said.

Blanket ban on MP would be shocking

A blanket ban on an MP from speaking on a particular issue both inside and outside Parliament would be "most shocking, unprecedented and outrageous" parliamentary practice, Lim said.

If it happened, this would show that there is something very wrong with the Malaysian Parliament, he added.

Pua (photo) had already devoted his entire speech in Parliament on Oct 27 on the 1MDB scandal, without using information presented in the PAC, he said.

Deputy Speaker Robert Kiandee had even asked Pua during that speech whether he was using any classified information and allowed the speech to go on after Pua said he was not, he said.

"Was Kiandee breaking parliamentary rules, conventions and practives in allowing Pua to speak for half an hour solely on the 1MDB subject?" he asked sarcastically.

If Hasan's primary task is to shut Pua up instead of expediting the 1MDB probes, he would have failed as PAC chairperson, Lim said.

He also questioned why Arul Kanda is only to appear before the PAC on Dec 1, when he seems to have "a lot of time on his hands".

"Especially as Arul Kanda is available within 48 hours notice to have 'live telecast' debate with Pua on RTM over 1MDB (on Friday) if the speaker had not stopped it," he pointed out.

"This episode is the best proof that Hasan has no proper sense of urgency or priority that PAC investigations into 1MDB should be completed in the shortest time possible," he criticised.