Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has denied influencing former Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) chairperson Bernard Dompok and causing 'unease' among other members of the committee.

Lim said Dompok, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, had always consulted the committee members, or even deciding through a vote, on the committee's decision.

"I do not see how any PSCI member could truthfully and in all conscience allege [to Nazri] that the PSCI was being led by the nose by Dompok who was under my influence," said Lim in a statement today.

He was responding to allegations by the minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Nazri Abdul Aziz, who claimed that Dompok headed the committee under the influence of Lim, who is PSCI deputy chair.

In a rare war of words between two ministers in the Prime Minister's Department, Dompok had shot back saying that Nazri was taking a "cheap shot" at him.

Dompok resigned as PSCI chair on Wednesday reportedly following the refusal of the National Registration Department official to attend a hearing by the committee in relations to an alleged fake identity card scandal in Sabah.

"He (Nazri) knows the matter very well as it was discussed at the cabinet meeting which he attended," said Dompok who is leader of Sabah's Upko party.

"I resigned because I felt my position in the committee may not be good for the independence of the body and I have no regrets in doing so.

"I thought when the committee was set up it was meant as a committee for legislature but I was wrong. I have been thinking a lot about this," said Dompok according to New Straits Times .

Meanwhile, Lim also ticked Nazri off for having 'spies' in the PSCI. Nazri had claimed that PSCI members were 'uneasy' with Lim's 'influence' on Dompok.

"Who are these 'BN members' on the PSCI [which Nazri claimed] had reported to him behind its back - which is a gross breach of parliamentary privilege!

"The PSCI and other parliamentary select committees only report to Parliament and not to any single minister, be he the minister in charge of parliamentary affairs," added Lim.

Investigate us all

On Nazri's comments that calling in the former ACA head Zulkipli Mat Noor and NRD officials to PSCI hearings was out of the committee's scope, Lim said:

"What the PSCI had sought to do was to seek the cooperation of various persons and parties who could throw light on issues pertaining to integrity and which had been raised at public hearings when seeking public consultations"

He claimed Nazri had appeared to champion the cause of the NRD and Zulkipli in his statement yesterday and that he should stop interfering with the PSCI's functions.

The select committee was set up in 2005 to obtain public feedback on issues of integrity and given two years to complete its task and send its findings to Parliament.

Nazri at a press conference yesterday also revealed that there was a "wide gap" between Dompok and other ministers on the scope of the select committee.

Lim said he would propose a motion when Parliament reconvenes on June 18 to refer the entire matter to the Committee of Privileges to investigate Dompok, Nazri, himself and all PSCI members.

"This whole issue should be referred to the Committee of Privileges for a full investigation as it has besmirched not only Dompok and my honour, but also all other members of the PSCI - and the honour of Nazri as what he said is completely baseless," explained Lim.