Works Minister S Samy Vellu has been told to show evidence that Parliament House is safe to be used and to explain whether it was worth spending RM80 million for its renovation last year.

Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) deputy chairperson Dr Tan Seng Giaw who made the call to the minister today also said that an independent commission should be set up to scrutinise every part of the building to ensure it is safe for MPs to meet.

Tan who is also the DAP MP for Kepong told reporters this after attempting to enter the august chamber with Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) and Fong Poh Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah). The three legislators were denied entry.

Tan said that Samy must also explain why there were a lot of defects in government projects over the past ten years.

"Why were there so many complaints and allegations of corruption in projects involving the government?", he asked, adding that he was waiting for the minister to return from his working trip abroad to get the explanation.

Parliament was adjourned abruptly on Thursday after water from a leaking roof poured into the august chamber following heavy rain and thunderstorm.

Samy came under heavy fire last year when several government projects including the Middle Ring Road II flyover in Kepong, Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Bahru and Temerloh Hospital were found defected.

House Committee

Meanwhile, Lim said the House Committee of Parliament should present a full report about the renovation work in the parliamentary session in June.

"We want to know how the previous house committee had hijacked the project without explaining the expenditures and on how the project was started," he said.

The House Committee, headed by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, is responsible for the facilities and infrastructure of the house. It is learnt that the committee will hold a meeting next week to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, Bernama quoted Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib as saying today that the leak in the roof did not cause much damage.

Ramli said he had asked the Public Works Department to prepare a report on the incident.

Thursday was the last day of the current session. The next parliamentary session is from June 20 to July 12, while the following one is slated from Sept 19 to Dec 8