KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings do not imply that every project or procurement under investigation involves leakage, waste, or misconduct, said its chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.

Instead, she said PAC also plays a role in reviewing proposals for procurement or government projects.

"This is a role that PAC must play as a Parliamentary Select Committee and as a mechanism for checks and balances between the Legislative and Executive branches,” she said in a statement today.

Yesterday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke questioned the appropriateness of the PAC investigation into the procurement of electric multiple units (EMU) trains, given that the project is still in the planning stage and no contracts have been finalised.

Mas Ermieyati emphasised that PAC believes the EMU procurement needs to be clarified in more detail so that the public understands why the government chose a 30-year lease model worth over RM10 billion.

She pointed out that this is not the first time PAC has initiated proceedings by inviting a ministry to provide clarification before the government makes any decisions, including signing contracts.

"Previously, many have suggested that PAC often starts investigations into procurement or government financial governance issues only when they have already become problematic,” she concluded. — Bernama