Auditor-General's Report: PAC to haul up senior officials from six ministries for decline in performance

KUALA LUMPUR: Senior officials from six ministries will be hauled up by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to explain their performance decline as stated in the Auditor General’s Report (Series Three, 2014).

PAC chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin said the committee was dissatisfied with the general decline in financial management by ministries, government departments, agencies and statutory bodies.

“The number of ministries, federal and state departments, including statutory bodies, that scored four-star ratings dropped to 60 last year, compared to 68 in 2013.

“Numbers for three-star ratings also dropped to 70 in 2014 as compared to 72 the year before.

“We will call the secretaries-general of each ministry sometime in February, after we wrap up investigations into 1MDB,” he told a press conference in Parliament.

Agriculture and Agro-based Resources Ministry will be hauled up over its management of subsidies for ST15 and S15% rice types, while the Rural and Regional Development Ministry will be called to explain the Orang Asli socioeconomic development program.

The Education Ministry will be facing the PAC over its management of projects to build secondary-level religious schools and other related facilities in Sarawak, while the Defence Ministry will be hauled up for losing close to RM27mil over delays in the National Defence Education Centre (Puspahanas) project.

The Works Ministry will be jointly called with the Health Ministry to explain delays in the upgrading of Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail in Batu Pahat, Johor, and the Home Ministry will be called to explain poor management of the National Anti-Drug Agency quarters.

Just before the press conference, the PAC was given the lowdown on the report by Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.

“We want all ministries, departments, and agencies to strengthen their internal audit units to prevent leakages, money laundering and abuse of power.

“The Chief Secretary can also have more townhall sessions with secretaries-general to keep things in check,” he said.

For the first series of the 2014 report, PSD took action against two M52 and M48 officers, and when the second series was released, a total of 25 civil servants and officers were investigated.