So, what's going to happen to PAC proceedings?

The status of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and its investigation into the allegations against the national investment arm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) has become the latest political debate.

After four of its members, including its chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, have been appointed into the Cabinet, the question now is whether the committee can continue to operate or will it have to wait for the appointment of new members.

PAC deputy chair, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, stressed that the committee will continue as usual and on schedule although they have lost four of its members following the reshuffle in the Cabinet.

Dr Tan said that the PAC still has a complete quorum to listen to the investigations according to the Dewan Rakyat’s Standing Orders. He added that Nur Jazlan was wrong in stating that the PAC’s activities have to cease until new members are appointed in October.

“We still have nine members to carry out our responsibilities. It is not right to stop our investigation now,” he was reported to have told The Sun.

“When we have no chairman, the deputy will take over. If both are not available, the members can appoint a new chairman at that point. Those are the rules,” Dr Tan was quoted by The Malaysian Insider.

On Tuesday, Nur Jazlan said all hearings by the PAC will be halted temporarily until replacements have been made for the members who have been appointed to the Cabinet.

Nur Jazlan said that PAC proceedings will only resume after a new committee line-up was announced at the next sitting of the Dewn Rakyat in October.

The PAC initially had 13 members consisting of eight Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs and five opposition MPs. The current remaining nine members consist of four from BN and five from the opposition.

The BN representatives who are still on the PAC are Kulim Bandar Baru MP Datuk Abd Aziz Sheikh Fadzie, Simpang Renggam MO Datuk Liang Teck Meng, Limbang MP Hasbi Habibollah and Tanjung Piai MP Datuk Wee Jeck Seng.

The opposition representatives are Tumpat MP Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar, Petaling Jaya Utara MP (DAP) Tony Pua, Selayang MP (PKR) William Leong, Telok Kemang MP (PKR) Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas and Kepong MP (DAP) Dr Tan Seng Giaw.

Clause 83 (3) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders states that aside from instructions by the Dewan Rakyat, there needs to be three members inclusive of the chairman to complete a quorum.

Meanwhile, another PAC member, Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar told The Sun that Nur Jazlan and the other three who have been appointed Cabinet positions did not have locus standi to speak on behalf of the PAC, as stated in Standing Order 77 (4) whereby they are automatically dropped from the committee once they become part of the administration.

“That is why Nur Jazlan does not have the right to say that the proceedings need to be halted. He is no longer a member of the PAC after he was appointed as a deputy minister,” he said.