Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman also dismissed the criticism raised by DAP’s Khoo Poay Tiong, who also sits on the committee, saying they were misleading.

This includes the committee’s alleged failure to summon the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki over the shares ownership scandal.

Latiff said the Parliament’s legal adviser’s office had sent letters to committee members, including Khoo, to inform them of Azam’s reply.

The top graft-buster had said he was merely going by the book when he declined to appear before the committee in January, adding that he had only received an “invite” to do so. Azam said he would have attended if he had been subpoenaed.

On rejecting the proposal for the MACC to hold a briefing on the littoral combat ship (LCS) controversy, Latiff said the anti-graft agency had completed its probe and had referred the matter to the attorney-general.

Contrary to Khoo’s claims that the committee rarely met, Latiff said they held “several meetings” this year, but admitted that some had to be postponed due to “technical problems” involving the related agencies.

“The call by the Kota Melaka MP for the committee to be scrapped is off the mark. He has a hidden agenda,” Latiff said in a statement.

Late last month, Khoo said the PSC on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department should be dissolved upon the expiry of its term on Nov 10, explaining that it had failed to scrutinise and hold the government accountable on key public interest issues.

Khoo also said the committee had only convened three times this year, with most of the meetings filled with standard briefings and presentations by government agencies.