Samy Vellu's Outburst: Shahrir Shocked.
Knowing that Datuk Shahrir is not the type to be rattled, I therefore did not expect a harsh rebuttal from him regarding Samy Vellu's public display of anger yesterday. True to form the cool MP took it in his stride, calmly explaining the role of the PAC as well as the implications of contempt of Parliament, while expressing shock at the minister's tirade. Read on...
Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad has said he was shocked by Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s “hysterical outbursts” against his advice to the Works Ministry to reduce the compensation for the scrapped Malaysia-Singapore bridge project. Shahrir said Samy Vellu should not stop his ministry officials from attending PAC meetings, citing contempt of Parliament, if they did not do their duty.
“It is wrong for the Minister to ask his officers to send PAC a written reply and not to attend PAC meetings,” he told a press conference today. It is a common practice among parliaments in Commonwealth countries to invoke contempt of Parliament when anyone asked to appear before any select committee - the ones with powers to call witnesses - but failed to do so. In the Malaysian Parliament, committees with such powers are PAC and Committee of Privileges. The ones without the powers include the Standing Order Committee. The Parliament’s Standing Order 77 states that the PAC has the power to send for persons, papers and records to report from time to time. The Order also stipulates that the PAC can examine any matters the committee thinks fit, or which, may be referred to it by the House.
Samy was upset with PAC’s advice for his ministry to reduce the RM100 million compensation for Gerbang Perdana. He said the PAC had been calling his officials every week. The minister had said Shahrir should be more responsible and not look for cheap publicity.
Shahrir explained that it was unfair for Samy to claim that PAC called his officials every week because the committee only met once a month. The only meeting pertaining to the Works Ministry for this year was last Monday, said Shahrir, adding that last year, PAC only met twice to discuss issues relating to the ministry. This was on the Middle Ring Road 2 or MRR2 and the Johor Bahru hospital.
“However, we do not want to have a media war. So PAC will invite Datuk Seri Samy to attend a PAC special meeting on June 22 to air his views,” he said. Shahrir said the Works Ministry had ignored PAC advice last year that the MRR2 repair works should be expedited. When the situation got worse, he said, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had to issue a directive to close the MRR2 for repair works.
“I have no intention to ridicule the Minister or his officials. We want to help the Government in ensuring transparency and fairness. In Gerbang Perdana case, we want the people to know that the Government is serious about not wasting people’s money,” he said. Shahrir said the Government should leave the issue of the bridge behind and concentrate on developing and building an efficient Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex in Johor Baru. “We have the CIQ project in front of us. Let’s make it work and ensure it will not be a white elephant,” he added.(NST)
Meanwhile Bernama reports that the PAC itself has not taken too kindly to the minister's statements.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said Wednesday Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu can be cited for contempt of Parliament for barring his ministry's officers from attending PAC meetings. Its deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said the committee has the power to summon persons to answer its queries and ask for papers and records. He said in a statement today that under Parliament's Standing Orders, the committee could send for the minister and did not have to accept his written answers. "You have contravened Article 77 of the Standing Orders. You have held Parliament in contempt," said Tan who is the MP for Kepong.
**** Harsh words indeed from the deputy chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. Now can you translate those strong words into action and show us that Samy Vellu is not above Parliament.
Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad has said he was shocked by Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s “hysterical outbursts” against his advice to the Works Ministry to reduce the compensation for the scrapped Malaysia-Singapore bridge project. Shahrir said Samy Vellu should not stop his ministry officials from attending PAC meetings, citing contempt of Parliament, if they did not do their duty.
“It is wrong for the Minister to ask his officers to send PAC a written reply and not to attend PAC meetings,” he told a press conference today. It is a common practice among parliaments in Commonwealth countries to invoke contempt of Parliament when anyone asked to appear before any select committee - the ones with powers to call witnesses - but failed to do so. In the Malaysian Parliament, committees with such powers are PAC and Committee of Privileges. The ones without the powers include the Standing Order Committee. The Parliament’s Standing Order 77 states that the PAC has the power to send for persons, papers and records to report from time to time. The Order also stipulates that the PAC can examine any matters the committee thinks fit, or which, may be referred to it by the House.
Samy was upset with PAC’s advice for his ministry to reduce the RM100 million compensation for Gerbang Perdana. He said the PAC had been calling his officials every week. The minister had said Shahrir should be more responsible and not look for cheap publicity.
Shahrir explained that it was unfair for Samy to claim that PAC called his officials every week because the committee only met once a month. The only meeting pertaining to the Works Ministry for this year was last Monday, said Shahrir, adding that last year, PAC only met twice to discuss issues relating to the ministry. This was on the Middle Ring Road 2 or MRR2 and the Johor Bahru hospital.
“However, we do not want to have a media war. So PAC will invite Datuk Seri Samy to attend a PAC special meeting on June 22 to air his views,” he said. Shahrir said the Works Ministry had ignored PAC advice last year that the MRR2 repair works should be expedited. When the situation got worse, he said, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had to issue a directive to close the MRR2 for repair works.
“I have no intention to ridicule the Minister or his officials. We want to help the Government in ensuring transparency and fairness. In Gerbang Perdana case, we want the people to know that the Government is serious about not wasting people’s money,” he said. Shahrir said the Government should leave the issue of the bridge behind and concentrate on developing and building an efficient Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex in Johor Baru. “We have the CIQ project in front of us. Let’s make it work and ensure it will not be a white elephant,” he added.(NST)
Meanwhile Bernama reports that the PAC itself has not taken too kindly to the minister's statements.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said Wednesday Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu can be cited for contempt of Parliament for barring his ministry's officers from attending PAC meetings. Its deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said the committee has the power to summon persons to answer its queries and ask for papers and records. He said in a statement today that under Parliament's Standing Orders, the committee could send for the minister and did not have to accept his written answers. "You have contravened Article 77 of the Standing Orders. You have held Parliament in contempt," said Tan who is the MP for Kepong.
**** Harsh words indeed from the deputy chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. Now can you translate those strong words into action and show us that Samy Vellu is not above Parliament.
posted by The Malaysian. at 6/14/2006 06:59:00 PM
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