Parliament must resolve to confer power on the House Committee to order persons to appear to investigate serious leakages, 23.5.2007.

DAP National Deputy Chairman and MP　ｆｏｒ　Ｋｅｐｏｎｇ　Ｄｒ　Ｔａｎ　Ｓｅｎｇ　Ｇｉａｗ　ｂｅｌｉｅｖｅｓ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｐａｒｌｉａｍｅｎｔ　should resolve giving power to the House Select Committee to send for persons, documents or papers, so that the Committee can enquire into the serious leakages of the parliament building.

Ｄｒ　Ｔａｎ　ｉｓｓｕｅｄ　ａ　ｓｔａｔｅｍｅｎｔ　ｏｎ　ｌｅａｋａｇｅｓ　ｏｆ　ｐａｒｌｉａｍｅｎｔ　ｂｕｉｌｄｉｎｇ　ｏｎ　２０　Ｍａｙ，　２００７．

Ｓｉｎｃｅ　ＤＡＰ　ＭＰｓ　ｂｒｏｕｇｈｔ　ｕｐ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｓｓｕｅ　ｏｆ　ｌｅａｋａｇｅｓ　ｏｆ　ｐａｒｌｉａｍｅｎｔ　ｂｕｉｌｄｉｎｇ　ｏｎ　１０　Ｍａｙ，　２００７，　ｕｎｒｅａｓｏｎａｂｌｅ　ｅｖｅｎｔｓ　ａｐｐｅａｒ，　ｉｎｃｌｕｄｉｎｇ　ＭＰｓ　offending women byｕｔｔｅｒｉｎｇ　ａｎ　ｕｎｐｌｅａｓａｎｔ　ｔｈｉｎｇ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｍｏｎｔｈｌｙ　ｐｅｒｉｏｄ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗｏｒｋｓ　Ｍｉｎｉｓｔｅｒ　ｍｕｔｔｅｒｉｎｇ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　RM 90 million ｒｅｎｏｖａｔｉｏｎ　ｏｆ　ｐａｒｌｉａｍｅｎｔ　ｂｕｉｌｄｉｎｇ　iｎ　２００５ ｗｉｔｈout　ｗａｔｅｒｐｒｏｏｆｉｎｇ．　Ｗｅ　ａｒｅ　ｐｅｒｐｌｅｘｅｄ．

Ｔｈｅ　Ｈｏｕｓｅ　Ｃｏｍｍｉｔｔｅｅ　ｉｓ　ｃｈａｉｒｅｄ　ｂｙ　ｔｈｅ　Ｓｐｅａｋｅｒ　Ｔａｎ　Ｓｒｉ　Ｒａｍｌｉ　Ｎｇａｈ　Ｔａｌｉｂ．　Ｔｈｅ　Ｃｈａｉｒｍａｎ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　Ｐｕｂｌｉｃ　Ａｃｃｏｕｎｔｓ　Ｃｏｍｍｉｔｔｅｅ　Ｄａｔｕｋ　Ｓｈａｈｒｉｒ　ｉｎｓｉｓｔｓ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｅ　Ｈｏｕｓｅ　Committee should investigate the leakages. The Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang feels that the Works Minister is responsible for the defect and that maintenance should be inlcuded in the House Committee. These are reasonable views.

But, the House Committee deals with all matters connected with the comfort and convenience of and services and amenities available to members of the House. The Committee does not have power to send for persons, documents or papers unless the House so resolves. Hence, the House must resolve to confer the Committe such power so that it can enquire into the serious leakages and other defects of the parliament building.

We really want to know the true responsibility of the Works Minister. In fact, not only does he plan and implement public facilities, but also the maintenance and the improvement of the quality of infrastructure. Spending RM90 million, parliament only gets bad leakages. This is not the standard of a developed nation, to which Malaysia aspires by 2020.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw