PKR’s Azmin wants Azmi to resign from PAC

KUALA LUMPUR - The PKR lawmaker for Gombak Azmin Ali called on Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid to resign immediately as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for tarnishing its reputation as an independent parliamentary body over the Eurocopter inquiry.

Azmin alleged that the former Minister of Natural Resources and Environment had breached parliamentary rules and regulations in disclosing the findings of the committee into the RM1.6 billion Eurocopter helicopter scandal to the media before submitting its report to Parliament.

He made the demand in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Azmi who is MP for Padang Besar stood up and explained that he had merely given a general explanation to reporters after ending the PAC meetings and that it was up to the House to accept or reject its findings.

Referring to a parliamentary regulation handbook for MPs, Azmi who is also vice-president of PKR said that Azmi should properly have told reporters that he could only make statements after the PAC report had been made official in the House.

The matter was first raised by the MP for Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang after the lunch break. The veteran DAP politician had criticised the PAC chair for clearing the federal government of wrongdoing in the helicopter deal without obtaining the consensus from his PAC colleagues.

Lim further accused Azmi of being involved in a conspiracy with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who had approved the military procurement two days before exchanging portfolios with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, then the Finance Minister.

themalaysianinsider
05/11/08