Barely 24 hours into his appointment, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib has come under fire from the DAP for dismissing its motion to debate the "long list of failed government infrastructure projects".

Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang expressed disappointment with Ramli's "narrow and conservative" interpretation of Standing Order 22(1), a procedural regulation allowing for a question to be asked without the usual two-week notice if the Speaker agrees that it is a specific and urgent issue pertaining to public interest.

Lim said he had hoped the House could deliberate the establishment of a committee of inquiry to investigate controversies over poor workmanship and long delays in the building of 21 school and college buildings, the 10-year Matrade building and various highways and hospitals .

"It is most regrettable that the first decision of the new Speaker is to interpret the Standing Order in a narrow and conservative manner to inhibit the chief function of Parliament, which is to effectively hold the government to account," said Lim at a press conference in the lobby after the morning session.

Criticising Ramli's reason - that "the issue raised was not a matter to be settled urgently" - Lim said there is no other public issue which is currently more urgent than the lack of accountability and trasparency over the loss of billions of ringgit due to failed government projects.

Discrepancies highlighted

Lim ( left ), who yesterday questioned Ramli's candidacy by citing allegations of impropriety during the latter's tenure as the Perak menteri besar, also warned that Ramli's rejection of the motion may lead to the issue becoming Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's first "full-blown scandal" since assuming office last November.

He cited discrepancies in statements on the status of Project Management Consultants (PMC), the consortium that Works Minister S Samy Vellu has blamed for poor oversight of the construction of 16 schools and five colleges.

"Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Sunday that the PMC scheme was abolished in March, while Primary Industries Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik said it was terminated at the end of last year," said Lim.

"In contrast, the prime minister said a week ago that the fate of the Finance Ministry-appointed PMC ... would be decided soon pending the outcome of a report from Samy Vellu."

Since Samy Vellu had himself revealed on June 23 that the PMC had completed only 30% of the RM16.5 billion projects assigned, Lim said it was all the more urgent to debate the issue "if Parliament is to be able to play its role as the custodian of taxpayers' interests".

Ramli was voted into the Speaker's position yesterday by 185 members of parliament, including those of opposition parties Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS, to replace the late Dr Mohamed Zahir Ismail who died on 14 Oct.