PAC IS NOT TOOTHLESS, SAYS JAZLAN


PETALING JAYA: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is not toothless, said its chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamad.

In defending the PAC, Jazlan said the committee had called up witnesses in high-profile cases, including the enquiries on the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ).

“It’s not toothless. It has the power to compel people to answer questions,” said the Pulai MP. He pointed out that in the PKFZ case, the committee had called former transport ministers Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy.

Many have accused the PAC of being toothless though it has powers to investigate the Auditor-General’s reports, which have highlighted excesses and wastage in government departments and agencies.

When asked about the cases highlighted in the current report, Jazlan explained that action had been taken by the various ministries to resolve the problems.

“Not all that is printed in the report has to be acted upon by the PAC,” he said, adding that there was a special committee chaired by the Auditor-General to push for action in various ministries.

As for the purported waste in the hiring of security companies for schools, Jazlan explained that the sampling in the audit was a small one and it did not mean that every security company was in the wrong.

Source: The Star