20 October 2008

TONY PUA TELLS NAJIB TO RESPECT "PAC" INDEPENDENCE - malaysiakini

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 - DAP lawmaker Tony Pua urged Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to respect the independence and integrity of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in carrying out its investigations into the controversial RM2.3 billion Eurocopter deal.

Pua, who is a member of PAC, took to task Najib and his fellow Cabinet ministers for making a "total mockery of the parliamentary process that any scrutiny by the PAC requires the 'agreement' of the Cabinet."

He was responding to a statement made by the new Finance Minister yesterday. Najib had said that the Cabinet had given their approval for the PAC to look into the acquisition of the Eurocopter EC725 helicopters "as soon as possible".

Pua who is also the MP for Petaling Jaya Utara said the committee had made their decision to scrutinise the contract in their meeting last Wednesday. He emphasised that the committee was an independent body of Parliament and did not need the Cabinet's permission to carry out an inquiry.

"They must stop denigrating the Parliament and its institutions to tools of the Executive to achieve their own ends," Pua charged in a press statement today.

He added: "In addition, they must cooperate fully with the PAC at all times, including if the Deputy Prime Minister himself, or members of his Cabinet are called to be queried on various scandals which affects them or their ministries." -- MI

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