(July 29): The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) will go on as scheduled, despite the loss of four members following the Cabinet reshuffle, PAC deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said today.

He said former PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed was wrong to state that the hearing must be halted until new members are elected in October, as they still met the quorum according to the Dewan Rakyat’s Standing Orders.

"We have got to continue. We have nine members left, and all you need is three members plus one chairman to form a quorum, according to the Standing Orders.

"When the chairman is not around, the deputy takes over. If both are not available, the members can elect a new chairman on the spot. So that's it, that's the rule of law," Tan told The Malaysian Insider.

He said the PAC would carry on with the scheduled questioning of 1MDB president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy and former 1MDB chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Halmi on August 4 and 5.

"It's all fixed and it cannot be cancelled. If the Finance Ministry chooses to cancel the hearings, then they are acting against the law."

Yesterday, Nur Jazlan said all PAC proceedings for August, including its inquiry into 1MDB, would be temporarily halted after four of its members – himself, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau – were appointed into Cabinet.

Nur Jazlan said the PAC proceedings would only continue after the committee's new line-up is announced at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting.

Parliament will only reconvene in October for the Budget session.

But Dr Tan rubbished this and said Nur Jazlan had no right to speak on behalf of the PAC now that he was a Cabinet member.

"The moment he accepts the deputy minister post he is no longer part of the PAC and he has no right to say that.

"We don't even need to appoint new members once Parliament reconvenes, because we have more than enough to meet the quorum."

Clause 83(3) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders states that the quorum of parliamentary committees shall be three persons.

In a Cabinet reshuffle announced by prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday, Nur Jazlan is now deputy home minister, while Reezal is deputy foreign affairs minister and Puteri Umno chief Mas Ermieyati is the deputy tourism and culture minister.

Madius has been appointed the science, technology and innovation minister.

The bipartisan parliamentary committee previously had 13 members, consisting of eight from Barisan Nasional and five from the opposition bench.

The PAC unanimously decided to begin proceedings into 1MDB in a special meeting held on April 30. – The Malaysian Insider