PAC is independent, chairman tells Umno sceptics critical of LCS report
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Wong Kah Woh pointedly chastised his Umno critics accusing him of being a “tool” to attack their party for political leverage.
The Ipoh Timur MP from DAP warned former PAC chief Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed and Pekan MP Datuk Seri Najib Razak from denigrating the current committee members over their findings into the scandal-riddled littoral combat ships (LCS) procurement.
“PAC is independent, don’t challenge PAC’s credibility.
“PAC did not make the report based on personal emotions. The PAC report is based on facts and testimonies. The PAC report is the consensus of all its members. Those who sit in PAC are from both blocs in Parliament acting with one heart to safeguard the use of public money. Enough!” Wong said in a statement today.
He told his sceptics they could read the reports investigating financial scandals made by the PAC under his leadership and compare them against the committee led by Nur Jazlan and decide for themselves which were more credible.
Wong said Nur Jazlan has boasted of having being a certified accountant compared to mere PAC members who were just politicians and lacked professional credentials but pointed out the Umno man had resigned as PAC chairman on July 28, 2015 in the midst of Parliament’s scrutiny into the 1MDB scandal to accept a deputy minister post.
“He should have used his knowledge to help the PAC at that time and complete the final 1MDB report first.
“However, after being appointed a deputy minister, he kept quiet and now he is trying to cast aspersions on the PAC’s credibility of PAC,” Wong said, adding that he thought better of Nur Jazlan.
Earlier this month, the PAC chaired by Wong tabled its findings in the LCS procurement, revealing RM1.4 billion cost overruns for the 10-year-old project that has not seen a single vessel delivered to the navy to date.
The RM9 billion LCS project is the largest procurement in the history of the Defence Ministry that began in 2013. Six vessels were contracted to be built and delivered by the end of 2023.
