Wanita Umno chief Datuk Noraini Ahmad speaks during an interview at Kampung Jalan Kebun July 30, 2018. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will table a motion proposing Datuk Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong) to replace Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee (PH-Beluran) as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The motion is the ninth item in the Dewan Rakyat’s order paper for the day.

The move follows weeks of objections and the mass resignation of Opposition members from the PAC to protest against Kiandee remaining as the chairman of the parliamentary watchdog.

Kiandee was appointed to the role when he had still been a Sabah Umno lawmaker, but he has since joined Dr Mahathir’s PPBM.

Pakatan Harapan has been under pressure to replace Kiandee since his defection as the coalition pledged in its election manifesto to reserve the PAC chairmanship for an Opposition lawmaker.

Dr Mahathir initially disagreed with replacing Kiandee but later relented by saying a new PAC chairman would be named when a suitable candidate was found.

He insisted there was no urgency to do so as the election pledge was not legally compelling while Opposition members pointed out that they already nominated Noraini for the position.

Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming previously sought to mitigate the matter by asserting the PAC has active cases before it, which would be disrupted if Kiandee was replaced midway.

The issue prompted mass resignations from the committee, which began with Nurul Izzah Anwar (PH- Permatang Pauh) tendering her resignation, followed by Umno and PAS MPs, including Noraini who was first named to the PAC in August 2018.