PARLIAMENT | Opposition leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob has moved a motion to refer Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to the Rights and Privileges Committee for misleading the Dewan Rakyat.

This is over the Public Accounts Committee finding that GST refunds – which Lim claimed had been "robbed" by the previous BN administration – had not gone missing.

"The PAC report on GST refunds (tabled in the Dewan Rakyat) today (showed) that there is no disappearance or robbery as claimed by the minister.

"As such, the opposition would like to cite Clause 36(12) of the Standing Orders to refer the minister to the Rights and Privileges Committee," he said.

Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming then asked Ismail Sabri to state his reasons for doing so in writing.

Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) then urged the Dewan Rakyat to promise that a decision will be made in the current sitting, which ends Thursday.

"I hope you can give us assurance that the matter can be debated in the House in this session," he urged.

Concurring, Ismail Sabri said the matter should be debated soon, as this is a serious matter that involves the integrity of previous administration.

"I give my assurance that the decision will be made in line with the law and Standing Orders," Nga said in response.

"If the Standing Orders require a decision to be made in the current sitting, then a decision will be made (by this sitting)," he said.

PAC began its probe after Lim said, last August, that GST refunds were delayed for up to two years because the former BN administration "robbed" from the refunds.

Following this, the government sought a special dividend of RM30 billion from Petronas to pay for the refunds.

The PAC report released today noted there was no money missing in the RM19.4 billion GST fund, but the previous administration had breached the law by funnelling money meant for GST refunds into the consolidated revenue account.

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