Selcat has power to probe wrongdoing

By V. Shankar Ganesh
www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/09selca/Article/index_html

KLANG: Selangor's special select committee on competency, accountability and transparency (Selcat) is meant to provide an additional check and balance in the state administration.

It was formed on May 23 last year following a resolution tabled in the Selangor state assembly.

Similar to select committees in Commonwealth Parliaments, the idea for Selcat came when the new state government decided to hold public hearings on several alleged discrepancies in the running of the state.

Established under existing provisions in the Selangor constitution and assembly standing orders, it has the same powers as the three usual select committees, which are the public accounts committee, privileges and rights committee and standing orders committee.

Anyone can write to Selcat with a complaint regarding anything that involves the state government.

Its members will then study and decide whether to pursue the complaint.

It will request documents and sworn statements from those involved before issuing summonses to individuals, including civil servants and members of the public, to appear before it.

In the hearings, witnesses can be questioned in detail, which at times can be termed as "grilling".

To bolster Selcat, the Contempt of the House Enactment 2008 was passed last year by the state assembly.

The enactment compels those summoned to attend its hearings and provides for a fine and jail term for non-compliance.

It also provides for the punishment of those found giving false evidence.

However, prosecution under the enactment is under the jurisdiction of the police and with the consent of the attorney-general.

The committee's findings will then be tabled at the state assembly and it will be left to the administration to adopt the recommendations.

Three other special select committees -- on district and land offices, local government and government linked companies, statutory bodies and government agencies -- were formed last year.Another committee on legislation and budget will be formed soon.

The state plans to use the lessons learnt from Selcat proceedings and it will be used as a model for other select committee hearings.

Selcat will later be dissolved.

At present, Selcat has seven members, including two representatives from Barisan Nasional.

The Pakatan Rakyat representatives are its chairman, Speaker Teng Chang Khim, Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali, Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang), Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing) and Haniza Talha (Taman Medan), while the BN members are Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani and Permatang representative Sulaiman Abu Bakar.

The committee has completed one investigation while another is still on-going.

The first case was on the dissolution of the Wives of Elected Selangor Representatives Welfare Organisation (Balkis) and the spending of its funds.

The second case being investigated now is on the spending of assemblymen's RM500,000 annual allocation.

During the hearing of the first case on Balkis, Selcat summoned about a dozen people to testify, including former menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and his wife, Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik.

However, both failed to turn up and Dr Khir was later suspended for a year for remarks made against Selcat in the media.

A police report was lodged against Zahrah for her failure to attend but action has yet to be taken against her under the Contempt of the House Enactment 2008.