‘NOT SHY, SO THICK-SKINNED’ KIANDEE FINALLY AGREES TO STEP DOWN ONCE REPLACEMENT FOUND: IF HE WAS A SINCERE MP, HE COULD HAVE SAVED HIMSELF, DR M & BERSATU SO MUCH EMBARRASSMENT – YET HE CLUNG ON LIKE A LIZARD UNTIL PUBLIC OUTRAGE GREW TOO HOT TO HANDLE

RONALD Kiandee said he will continue as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman until the prime minister identifies a replacement.

The Beluran MP said he will leave the post only after the new chairman’s name is proposed in Parliament.

“I’ll abide by the prime minister’s decision,” he told The Malaysian Insight today.

However, he did not want to be drawn further on the subject.

Earlier today, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he is willing to consider replacing Kiandee as PAC chief, following complaints from Pakatan Harapan MPs that the post should be held by the opposition.

“But at this moment, he (Kiandee) remains as chairman of PAC.”

Asked when a replacement will be announced, he said: “This is not a legal matter – it is a promise made by the party. We, PH, can do it any time.”

The prime minister’s remarks followed PH lawmaker Wong Chen’s disclosure yesterday that PAC members from the ruling pact had written to Dr Mahathir about Kiandee.

PH, in its 14th general election manifesto, pledged that PAC would be headed by a member of the opposition, as part of the pact’s aim to ensure accountability and transparency.

Kiandee, who left Sabah Umno last year, on March 15 officially joined Dr Mahathir’s Bersatu.

The issue has seen Nurul Izzah Anwar quitting PAC as the Permatang Pauh MP disagrees with the decision to have a PH member heading the committee.

With her resignation, PAC has 13 members, nine of whom are from PH, two from Barisan Nasional, and one each from PAS and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.