PAC to seek clarification on Speaker’s ruling

(The Star) – The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will seek clarification from the Dewan Rakyat Speaker whether Petaling Jaya Utara Member of Parliament Tony Pua and 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) president Arul Kanda Kandasamy are now barred from making public statements.

PAC chairman Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin said he was unsure if the ruling made by Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia prohibiting a debate between Pua and Arul Kanda also applied to their public statements.

“I will need to seek clarification from the Speaker’s office.

“I’m not too clear on this, but it appears that yes, they (Pua and Arul Kanda) are not allowed to speak publicly on the matter.

“Based on the Speaker’s ruling, it looks like Pua can no longer speak publicly about 1MDB,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

Hasan was asked if the Speaker’s ruling meant that Arul Kanda could no longer speak to the media or give television interviews about 1MDB until PAC’s investigation was complete.

He was also queried if the ruling prohibited Pua from issuing statements and campaigning publicly against 1MDB.

Pandikar had said that the proposed live debate between Pua and Arul Kanda would be a breach of Parliament’s Standing Orders as PAC members and witnesses were not allowed to publicly disseminate information gathered from the committee’s meetings until its findings were presented in Parliament.

Hasan also urged MPs from both sides of the political divide to respect the ruling made by Pandikar and not to press for the debate to take place.

On suggestions that the Opposition could consider someone to take Pua’s place in the debate, Hasan replied: “That is beyond the PAC’s control. We are talking about Pua as he is a PAC member.”

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang however has called Hassan’s interpretation on the Speaker’s ruling as absurd.

“Isn’t it taking absurdity to new heights trying to institute a ban on all discussions and reports on 1MDB?” he said in a statement.

He said Pandikar’s ruling was already shocking enough without Hassan trying to interpret it as a total ban on Pua from discussing anything on 1MDB.