Despite Zahid's outcry, PAC defends action to disclose LCS report

SHAH ALAM - Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Wong Kah Woh defended the committee’s action in disclosing the report on the procurement of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) to the public.

He said that the PAC respected the need to maintain national security sensitivity.

However, he would not allow the name of national security to be used arbitrarily and simply to hinder citizens from knowing the real information about how the government spent their taxpayers’ money.

“We are simply carrying out the responsibilities entrusted by Dewan Rakyat to this committee in ensuring that the expenditure of the people’s money is preserved.

“In the LCS issue, the PAC has presented a report based on the facts, documents and evidence obtained by this committee throughout the proceedings.

“The people’s discussion on this issue shows how much the people want to know what has actually happened in the LCS Project,” he said in a statement today.

He said this following a statement made by former Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who called for the PAC to be more sensitive in handling the entire investigation process, especially the issue of national security as it is still at the investigation stage.

Wong said the bipartisan PAC had simply carried out the responsibilities entrusted by Dewan Rakyat to the committee to ensure that the expenditure of the people’s money was preserved.

“The PAC has the duties and responsibilities as provided under the Standing Order (PM) 77(1) of the Standing Orders of Dewan Rakyat (PPMMDR) to examine all the expenditure of the Malaysian government, including any other matters which the committee thought fit to examine.

“All witnesses present before the PAC are aware that any information stated in the PAC proceedings will be recorded in the recording of a written conversation or known as hansard.

“Often, the presentation of witnesses will be handled through the ‘slide’ of presentations prepared by the witnesses themselves.

“The PAC report will be prepared based on all the evidence given during the PAC Proceedings, which is everything contained in the ‘hansard’ and ‘slide’ presentation of witnesses,” he explained.

He added that Zahid, the former Defence Minister, was present before the PAC on October 25, 2021, with the Defence Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Muez Abdul Aziz.

Zahid’s hansard was handed over to him by registered post on January 4, 2021, based on PM83(10) PPMMDR.

He was given seven days to make any corrections to the statement given.

“For the record, Zahid did not make any amendments, corrections or deductions to any information provided in the proceedings he attended.

“If any ‘hansard’ has any sensitive issues involving national security interests and is proposed for amendments or deductions by witnesses, the PAC will discuss whether to allow the application.

“This includes obtaining a legal opinion from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) who is also present in each PAC proceeding as an ex-officio PAC.

“In the LCS ship proceedings, none of the witnesses submitted such an application,” he said.