Let PAC table LCS report in Dewan Rakyat, says chairman
Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin says the debate mechanism will first be discussed with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul.
(FMT) – Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Mas Ermieyati Samsudin says the report on the progress of the second-generation littoral combat ship (LCS) construction project should be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat by the PAC itself.
The Masjid Tanah MP said the PAC report’s debate mechanism in the next parliamentary session would first be discussed with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul, as the auditor-general’s report was presented and wound up in January by the ministers responsible for issues raised from the report.
The PAC welcomed the speaker’s statement ensuring that the PAC’s report on the LCS project will be discussed in the next parliamentary sitting.
Mas Ermieyati, who is with Perikatan Nasional, said the decision proved Parliament’s proactive approach to providing a check-and-balance mechanism for the executive.
“This is a historic matter, not only for Parliament but also the PAC, because this committee’s report will be discussed for the first time, as opposed to before when the PAC’s report was only presented,” she said in a statement.
On Thursday, Johari said that he would ensure that the PAC’s report on the LCS construction project is discussed in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said that the PAC has committed to monitoring the LCS construction project’s progress and will prepare a related report to be presented in the lower house.
Johari said that he had conducted a working visit to the Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) site in Lumut, Perak, accompanied by Mas Ermieyati and her deputy Wong Shu Qi, and other members of the committee.
On Sept 21, Mas Ermieyati announced that the report on the progress of the second-generation LCS construction project is one of four scheduled to be presented during the third session of the Dewan Rakyat, which is set to convene starting Oct 9.
She said that the report covers the period from October 2022 to May 2023.
