The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should investigate issues and questions highlighted in the annual Auditor-General's reports and not pass its job to others, said a veteran opposition leader today.

On Monday, PAC chief Shahrir Samad has urged the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to probe matters highlighted in the report although it vowed to examine several issues in the report such as the misuse of national relief fund for tsunami victims and uncollected taxes.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang however finds Shahrir's call "quite extraordinary and most embarrassing".

In a statement today, Lim said he has no objection towards ACA adopting a pro-active stance to check on the Auditor-General's reports but this "will be completely out of character from its present role as an 'all cover-up agency'.

"However, this can be no excuse for Shahrir as PAC chief to abdicate from his responsibility to discharge the PAC mandate which includes ferreting out the corruption cases buried in the Auditor-General's reports instead of passing the buck to the toothless ACA," he said.

The PAC is tasked to check and ensure the public funds and allocations are well-spent. It is given power to subpoena witnesses to testify before the committee in the event of an inquiry is launched.

'Can Shahrir explain why?'

Taking the committee to task, the opposition leader questioned why up to now the PAC has not referred a single case from its probes into the Auditor-General's reports to the ACA on the ground that there is prima facie case for ACA to launch further probe.

"Can Shahrir explain why?" asked Lim, who is also Ipoh Timor MP.

"If the PAC, with all the powers vested in it by Parliament [...] cannot uncover a single case of corruption all these years, is it realistic for Shahrir to give the impression that the ACA can succeed where the PAC had failed so signally?"

He suggested Shahrir to submit a report to Parliament as to what further powers are needed so that the PAC can be more effectively and relevant to fulfil its parliamentary mandate to uncover financial irregularities and corruption in the public accounts.

"This should be the biggest challenge of the PAC particularly under the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's premiership which had pledged for a clean, incorruptible, accountable, transparent and efficient government, and not to pass the buck to the ACA.

"Otherwise, what is the use of having a PAC?" asked Lim.