KUALA LUMPUR: Nurul Izzah Anwar said conventional structure of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) must prevail to ensure checks and balances concerning the power of the executives.
The Permatang Pauh member of parliament and former PKR vice-president also said it could be a precedent that the PAC is currently led by two MPs from the ruling party.
Nurul Izzah was commenting on the ongoing controversy stemming from Beluran MP Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee’s position as PAC chairman, despite crossing over to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia from Barisan Nasional.
PAC deputy chairman is DAP’s Ipoh Timur MP Wong Kah Woh.
“Like it or not, we need to check on the possible excesses of the executive and PAC’s main function is to address that.
“And remember when BN was the government, we used to have the head of PAC from the government but the deputy was from the opposition.
“Perhaps for the first time in history, we have just not the top, but the number two in the PAC coming from the government of the day.
“I have a lot of respect for Ronald, you know I’ve worked very well with him, but at the end of the day, the structure must prevail.
“It is not about the individual. It is not about who sits where or personalities. But the structure has to be put in place, to guard and be the bulwark against excesses,” Nurul Izzah told a media conference today.
Nurul Izzah recently became embattled after her unexpected resignation from PAC in a protest against the chairmanship of an MP from the ruling party, said to be against pledgeunder Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto.