Parliamentary select committee to determine several key appointments - Mahathir

PUTRAJAYA, July 18 (Bernama) -- The parliamentary select committee on major public service appointments is to determine the key appointments to four commissions.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today these are the chairmen and members of the Election Commission, Judicial Appointments Commission and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) as well as the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Speaking to the media after chairing a meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption, he said the meeting agreed that a format and work procedure will be established to enable the committee to appoint the candidates to the key posts.

“The government agrees that the constitution and acts mention posts to be referred to this parliamentary select committee so that fit and proper candidates are presented for these positions,” he said.

The parliamentary select committee is now chaired by Selayang MP William Leong Jee Keen and comprises as members Opposition Leader and Bera MP Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob; Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Kubang Kerian); Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang) and Fong Kui Lun (Bukit Bintang).

On the recent appointment of Latheefa Koya as the MACC chief commissioner, Dr Mahathir said he used the existing procedure as stipulated in the act pertaining to the appointment.

Dr Mahathir had said earlier that the committee could not function legally without amendments to several provisions in the Federal Constitution.

He said that today’s meeting also agreed, in principle, with several recommendations to strengthen the independence of the National Audit Department, including enabling the Auditor-General to implement action.

This is because, under the previous government, the auditor-general received instructions from the prime minister as it was under the Prime Minister’s Department.

"Strictly speaking, it is only under the Prime Minister's Department. It doesn't mean the prime minister should have the authority over the auditor-general.

"What has happened in the past is that the prime minister directed the auditor-general to audit this and not audit that. 

"That is wrong. The auditor-general must be free to take action that he thinks fit," he said.

-- BERNAMA