DAP parliamentarians have expressed disagreement with Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia that there are no provisions in the standing orders that allow MPs to table a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"Absolutely not," said Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua.

"Which Parliament in the world does not allow for a motion of no confidence?" he asked.

Pua pointed out how the prime minister is selected based on the confidence of the majority of MPs in the House.

"And that majority needs to be expressed, and should such a majority change or shift to someone else, there must naturally be a process in Parliament to allow for that change to take place," he said.

"We have the supreme legislative body, surely we can choose our own prime minister," he added.

His party colleague Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim ( photo ) also questioned Pandikar's argument.

"How can it be (that there are no provisions)?

"This is a Westminster practice, so the speaker should consider this, because this is a Westminster Parliament. Even if there is no specific provision, there is a convention. So yes, I don't agree," he said.

Pandikar yesterday said that there were no provisions in the standing orders which mentioned an MP could table a motion of no confidence against the prime minister.

"There are no such provisions. Can I in the name of democracy, western democracy, make such standing orders? It looks stupid," he had said.

On another matter, Pua appeared pessimistic about the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) resuming its hearing into 1MDB.

"If it (PAC hearings) resumes... What makes you think it will resume?" he said.

Asked to elaborate, Pua said there had been no commitment from the speaker or the executive as to when the PAC chairperson would be appointed.

"All they said is let's wait for the coming parliamentary session before such an appointment is made.

"Is it going to be the first day of the session or the last day of the session until it's the holiday season?

"All we know is they are playing the delaying tactic to buy as much time as possible for the prime minister and hope the prime minister will be able to cover up the whole (issue) on 1MDB," he alleged.

The progress of the PAC in probing the allegations surrounding MDB hit a brick wall when its former chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed was made a deputy minister and had to step down from the committee.

Four of the eight BN MPs in the PAC were appointed into Najib's cabinet during the last controversial cabinet shuffle.

Apart from Nur Jazlan, the other three appointed were Wilfred Madius Tangau, Reezal Merican Naina Merican and Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.

The appointments had been criticised as an attempt by Najib to derail the 1MDB investigations.

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