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KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) lawmaker Nurul Izzah Anwar said she will rejoin the bipartisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC), after quitting it last month over a disagreement on who should chair the proceedings.
According to a report by Sinar Harian on Thursday (Apr 4), the lawmaker said she decided to return to the PAC after holding discussions with Pakatan Harapan (PH) chief whip Johari Abdul and getting the approval of Parliament Speaker Mohd Ariff Md Yusof.
"The structure of the PAC which provides checks and balances is crucial to the country," she said, adding that the reform agenda should be prioritised in parliament.
The U-turn came as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad tabled a motion to change the PAC’s chairman, replacing a lawmaker from his own party with another from the opposition bloc.
The motion to replace Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s Ronald Kiandee with Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Noraini Ahmad was put forward after an outcry from parliamentarians and members of the public.
The prime minister’s insistence for Mr Kiandee to lead the committee ran counter to a campaign pledge by the PH that the PAC will be led by an opposition lawmaker.
The PAC is a parliamentary oversight committee that scrutinises financial matters and accounts.
There are 12 PAC members – eight from PH, two from BN, and one each from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.
In an interview after she quit the PAC, Ms Nurul Izzah referred to Dr Mahathir as a "former dictator". The lawmaker also said she was "heartbroken" by PH’s slow delivery of its campaign promises.
Her comments drew criticism from Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali, who is also from the PKR. Mr Azmin tweeted: "This country needs doers who are prepared to tough it out all the way, not cry babies."
Defending his daughter, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said that the minister should "cool down".
He added that his daughter's remarks were directed against the PH government generally and not specifically at Dr Mahathir.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/nurul-izzah-return-pac-reforms-mahathir-11412842