(Aug 12): It is more important to convene an emergency parliamentary sitting to debate the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal than merely to appoint a new Public Accounts Committee chairman, said PKR.

The party's MPs Nurul Izzah Anwar and R. Sivarasa said that it was "not worth the effort" if Parliament was reconvened just to decide on the PAC chairman post.

Nurul Izzah, who is Lembah Pantai MP and PKR vice-president, said it was more important have a special parliamentary sitting to debate on the 1MDB scandal.

"It's very important for an emergency Parliament sitting to take place that not only covers the PAC issue, but also gets a holistic explanation on the 1MDB fiasco.

"We must have a proper emergency sitting to address all these questions. Malaysians deserve to know everything related to it," she said at the PKR headquarters today.

Sivarasa, who is Subang MP, agreed on the necessity for Parliament to discuss 1MDB.

"(Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) is the chairman of the (PAC) selection committee, we don't see a problem if he continues to be in it. He can convene a committee meeting to appoint a new PAC chairman," he said.

The Star reported that the Cabinet is to discuss today whether it wants a special parliamentary sitting to appoint the new PAC chairman.

The Parliament's bipartisan committee's probe into 1MDB's operations and alleged financial irregularities was halted late last month following a Cabinet reshuffle which saw its chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and three other members elevated to ministers and deputy ministers.

There have been calls by both the opposition and Umno members for the Cabinet to quickly appoint a new PAC chairman instead of waiting until the next parliamentary meeting in October.

This is so that the panel can continue to probe into debt-ridden state investor 1MDB.

The Star also reported Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee saying the nominee for the new PAC chairman would come from the Cabinet, while its members would be chosen by a parliamentary select committee. – The Malaysian Insider