K-Pop issue: Shabery not allowed to testify on live TV before PAC

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek won’t be allowed to testify before the Public Accounts Committee(PAC) over the K-Pop issue in a live telecast.

PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said he was informed by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker that Shabery, who has requested for the live coverage for transparency, would be breaching parliamentary laws.

“We asked the Speaker to reconsider though he says that the PAC report cannot be revealed until it is tabled,” Nur Jazlan told reporters today.

Nur Jazlan said that Shabery, being the first minister in recent years to offer himself to be investigated by the PAC, is setting a good example.

Shabery is slated to give his statement to the committee on Nov 14.

Meanwhile, Nur Jazlan, who held the PAC meeting with the Auditor-General and his officers as well as finance ministry officers, said that the PAC is calling several other ministries to be questioned as well.

“The next ministry that will be called is the Transport Ministry,” said Nur Jazlan, adding that the ministry is being called to explain about delays and ballooning costs for the KLIA2 and problems faced the Kota Kinabalu airport. The ministry will be hauled up on Nov 19.

The third to be called, said Nur Jazlan, is the Housing and Local Government Ministry on Nov 20, which was criticized in the Auditor-General’s 2012 report over poorly managed incinerators.

The other ministries that PAC plans to call are:

The Inland Revenue Board and Customs Department on Nov 26. The PAC wants to look at weaknesses mentioned in the A-G’s report as well as the implementation of the GST.
The Education Ministry on Nov 27, over the issue of poorly handled security guards worth RM2billion as highlighted in the A-G’s report
The Home Ministry on a date yet to be set regarding the loss of assets amounting to RM1.33 million that has “affected the confidence of the people in the police”.
The PAC also plans to call up 1Malaysia Development Bhd, a federal investment arm to explain its various ventures.

Among others, PAC also wants to call up sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd over pricey ventures such as chipmaker Silterra, food provider Malaysia Agrifoods and other financial investments that failed to provide returns to the government in the past few years.

On the issue of Khazanah's failure to reply to the A-G and the PAC, Nur Jazlan said: “If they still do not reply then it is gross insubordination. Why don’t you reply? It is required. The auditors should not be stopped in any way.”