The Barisan Nasional (BN) government's seemingly increasing commitment to transparency and accountability is being questioned by Pakatan Rakyat after the Selangor BN rejected the offer to chair the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the second time.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said the offer was made to Selangor opposition leader Datuk Mohd Shamsuddin Lias as it was deemed as a necessary move to create a first world assembly, in the interest of check and balance, transparency and accountability but he refused to take it up.

"I have already written to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to instruct the Selangor BN to accept the post to prove that he is serious about his transformation programme to make Malaysia the best democracy in the world and his pledge to ensure transparency and accountability,"said Pua in a statement.

However, Pua is unhappy with minister in the Prime Minister's department Datuk Paul Low's disregard over the idea, which he deemed as unnecessary and unimportant.

Low had earlier said that Malaysia, unlike other Commonwealth countries, may not have the political maturity to have an opposition member chair its parliamentary PAC. Low had also said that in other countries, the opposition joins constructive and bipartisan discussions, and the idea can be carried out there.

"Low's negative response only proves that he has completely shedded his impartial non-governmental organisation (NGO) skin and has fully embraced BN partisanship.

"Low is indeed correct to note that in overseas, the opposition joins constructive and bipartisan discussions, but that is because in their parliaments, dozens of bipartisan select committees are set up to discuss the drafting of laws in the country.

"In Malaysia, the BN government will not set up to discuss the drafting of laws in the country," he said.
Pua further added that Low's excuse that it was not imperative that an opposition member chairs the PAC as the committee already has members of both sides of the political divide and the chairman will serve only as a facilitator, trivialises the position of PAC chairman.

"If indeed the chairman is just a facilitator, then why not give it to the opposition?" he asked.

Earlier, Pua had said that it is completely inexplicable that BN is rejecting the position for the second time, unless the rejection is “politically motivated”.