Reports on members boycotting PAC meeting not true - Hasan

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin today denied that several PAC members from the opposition as well as the government had boycotted its meetings.

Commenting on a report by a news portal yesterday, he said the issue did not arise because the opposition representatives were at the PAC meeting while others who could not attend due to unavoidable reasons had informed the committee beforehand.

"Under the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders, the quorum for the PAC sitting is three people including the Chairman, and there was sufficient quorum at all PAC meetings," he said in a statement here today.

The portal reported that several PAC members from the opposition and government had boycotted the committee's meetings due to a difference of opinion with Hasan.

The report said that the members of Parliament were not present at the PAC meetings held from April until October this year.

Elaborating on this, Hasan said all PAC members who were appointed by Parliament, whether from Barisan Nasional (BN) or the opposition, must respect the appointment as a responsibility and a mark of trust to ensure that all government spending was truly in the interests of the people.

Hasan said the PAC held a meeting today on the management of Bank Pertanian Malaysia Berhad (Agrobank) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry.

During the proceedings, he said the PAC looked at the financial performance and management activities to ensure they really followed government procedures.

"Overall, the PAC is satisfied with the explanation given by witnesses who were called up and will hold a meeting on the preparation of the PAC report on its findings and recommendations, which will tabled in the Dewan Rakyat," he said.

-- BERNAMA