Wong Hon Wai resigns as Penang PAC chief

As reported in The Star

Published: Monday March 17, 2014 MYT 3:19:00 PM
Updated: Monday March 17, 2014 MYT 3:31:34 PM

Wong Hon Wai resigns as Penang PAC chief

by jolynn francis

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GEORGE TOWN: Air Itam assemblyman Wong Hon Wai (pic), the newly-appointed political secretary to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, has resigned from his state Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman post effective Monday.

Wong, who personally handed over his resignation letter Monday to state assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang, said his decision was made out of respect for the division of power between the executive and legislative.

“PAC is in the legislative branch while a political secretary is under the executive branch. Technically, there is no prohibition if I continue with the post but out of the respect for the division of power, I feel that it is not appropriate for me to hold a position in the PAC,” Wong said during a press conference at the state legislative assembly here.

According to the Standing Order 109A(3) of the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly Penang, one cannot be appointed as a chairman or a committee member of the PAC during his term as an exco member.

Wong is also planning to resign as chairman of the Penang Pakatan Rakyat Backbenchers Club.

He was officially sworn in as political secretary to Lim on March 14.

The appointment of a new PAC chairman will go through a motion in the state assembly.

The next seating will be scheduled in the middle of May this year.



As reported in The Sun Daily

Wong Hon Wai resigns from PAC

Posted on 17 March 2014 - 09:12pm
Last updated on 17 March 2014 - 09:46pm

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Wong Hon Wai has resigned, with effect from today.

The Air Itam assemblyman's resignation comes after he was appointed as Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary, replacing Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik, who had served for six years.

"According to rule 109A(3) of the Standing Orders of the Penang Legislative Assembly, a member of the assembly cannot be a member of the Public Accounts Committee should he or she became a member of the executive committee," Wong told a press conference today.

Reflecting on his eight-month PAC chairmanship, Wong spoke briefly about the e-tanah system, the Agency Link-up System (ALIS) regarding the welfare department and the municipal council's new registration system.

"The only hope I have is that my successor will be a senior assembly person who is interested in continuing the work," he said, adding that the new chairman is expected to be announced during the coming May sitting.