(July 30): Former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) CEO Datuk Shahrol Halmi and current president Arul Kanda Kandasamy will have to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) next week as scheduled, PAC member Tony Pua said.

He said despite the fact that the PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and three other members were no longer with the bi-partisan committee following Tuesday's Cabinet reshuffle, it is still legally and properly constituted.

"The standing orders are clear, the PAC is legally constituted and there is no provision to halt it.

"So on August 4, Datuk Shahrol Halmi must attend and on the 5th, Arul must attend and Hazem on the 6th," Pua said, referring to Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, who was 1MDB's CEO from March 2013 to January 2015.

Pua said he was surprised by the statement by Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kinadee that the Speaker's permission is needed to determine if PAC can continue.

He also picked on Kiandee’s rational that the current constitution of PAC members no longer reflected the balance in Parliament.

Pua instead said that the bi-partisan committee was never meant to reflect the exact proportion of MPs in Parliament.

He pointed out that in 2008, Tanjung Piai MP Wee Jeck Seng was first appointed by MCA as a PAC member but subsequently as a deputy minister following a Cabinet reshuffle.

"There was no halt in the PAC parliamentary proceedings even though Wee Jeck Seng's position was not filled for a long time," Pua said.

He said that in this session for 2013, Datuk Chua Tee Yong was appointed as PAC member but was also appointed as deputy finance minister.

Pua said the position was then vacant for a few months before it was taken over by Wee again.

He said during those months, PAC proceedings continued as normal without any interruptions.

"Hence it is completely wrong to say proceedings should stop whenever a member of the PAC resigns, or is promoted, refuses to come for meeting or for any other reasons.

"The standing orders is very clear, the PAC is legally constituted, there's no provisions to halt the PAC," he added.

Pua also said that the standing orders clearly stated that if the chairman or the vice-chairman was absent for whatsoever reason, a new chairman was to be appointed.

DAP's Kluang MP, Liew Chin Tong said that by Westminster convention, the chairman of the PAC should come from the opposition.

"So this is the perfect time to have an opposition chair for PAC," Liew added.

Kiandee reportedly said that the PAC should not proceed with its 1MDB probe until it consults the Speaker on the next move, adding that this was because the current composition of the committee no longer reflected the power balance in Parliament, required under Standing Order 82(1).

"PAC now should seek the opinion of the Speaker before proceeding. The Speaker is the custodian of Parliament after all,” Kiandee reportedly said. – The Malaysian Insider