On November 11, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid had promised that the PAC report on its inquiry into the RM1.6 billion Eurocopter deal would be tabled in Parliament “in two or three days”.
How can Azmi’s interpretation of “two or three days” be so elastic as to stretch to three weeks, and there are still no signs of the PAC report on its inquiry into the Eurocopter deal although it is now close to 50 days since Azmi first made the public announcement that the PAC would investigate into three scandals which had shook Parliament and the country – the Eurocopter helicopter, Bank International Indonesia (BII) and the high speed broadband (HSBB) deals?
I had intended to table a motion to debate the PAC report on its inquiry into the Eurocopter deal with Parliament having to make the final decision whether to accept or reject the PAC report and recommendations, but this PAC report must be tabled in Parliament latest by Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 so that I could give the necessary 14-day notice required for a motion to be debated on the last parliamentary sitting of the current budget meeting on December 18.
It is useless for Azmi to table the PAC report on the Eurocopter inquiry after December 3 because it would not be possible for MPs to give the requisite notice to debate it as a specific motion.
Can Azmi table the PAC report on the Eurocopter inquiry latest by Wednesday on Dec. 3? What has happened to Azmi’s announcement that PAC would be investigating into the other two scandals – the BII and HSBB scandals?
What about the new scandals that have surfaced in the past weeks like the RM50 million financial scandals of Tourism Ministry’s Pempena Group of Companies?
It would appear that Parliament would have to launch an inquiry into the manner the PAC is inquiring or not inquiring into the various government financial scandals and Azmi’s leadership or absence of leadership as PAC Chairman.
Is Azmi prepared to emulate the example and culture of responsibility as illustrated by the Indian Home Minister, Shivraj Patil who resigned over the three-day terrorist rampage in Mumbai that killed around 180 people, including a Malaysian, for his dismal failure as PAC Chairman?
Lim Kit Siang
PEOPLE'S POWER
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