THE Public Accounts Committee will convene tomorrow despite suggestions to defer its meeting for two weeks, said Wong Kah Woh.

The PAC chairman said he had received a letter from the Parliament secretary at about 3.30pm today suggesting that the meeting be called off on the advice of director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. 

“The director-general of health wrote to the Dewan Rakyat secretary today as well. He is suggesting for all select committee meetings be postponed for two weeks due to positive (Covid-19) cases detected in Parliament,” he said in a post on his Facebook page. 

“My first response to the Dewan secretary – This is RIDICULOUS! My second response here – This is RIDICULOUS!”

Wong said he has instructed the Parliament secretary to inform the director-general of health that its proceedings will go on as scheduled. 

“When Parliament is not sitting, there will only be fewer than 30 people in the PAC room. I believe the health D-G knows and understands this fully well and in what manner he shall discharge his duty to the nation,” he said. 

Wong said the meeting tomorrow will see the PAC gathering feedback on the issue of vaccine procurement from Health Minister Dr Adham Baba and the director-general of health. 

He said the meeting will be its third on the matter.

Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin yesterday said tomorrow’s meeting will be postponed following a risk assessment by the Health Ministry, which detected 11 Covid-19 cases after 1,183 samples have been taken. 

He said Muhyiddin ordered the meeting to be adjourned in accordance with Standing Orders 11(3). 

“This adjournment is in line with director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s suggestion based on several cases detected in Parliament last week,” he said.

The notice follows Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s public rebuke to the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government for failing to table the emergency ordinances in Parliament for debate. 

In his reprimand, the king has singled out Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Takiyuddin Hassan and Attorney-General Idrus Harun for misleading Parliament on the matter on July 26. 

On that day, Takiyuddin had stunned MPs by saying there was no need for a debate in Parliament on the ordinances as they had already been revoked by the cabinet on July 21. – August 1, 2021.