A-G's Report 2019: RM75mil paid to researchers whose involvement in projects could not be verified

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM75mil was paid to researchers whose involvement in research and development projects with national applied research and development (R&D) centres was not verified.

This was one of the findings of the Auditor-General (A-G) Report 2019 with regards to salary payments to researchers under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) and 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

"A total of RM57.48mil and RM13.11mil were salary payments made to contract project researches, whose direct involvement in the implementation of the projects under RMK10 and RMK11 could not be verified," the A-G stated in the report which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday. (Dec 10).

The report then added that salary payments were charged to the development fund, saying that it should not have been done.

Apart from this, the report also found that RM27.98mil and RM4.33mil was also charged to the development fund under 10MP and 11MP to pay the salary of top ranking officials in Mimos although funds for administrative expenditure were already provided.

This includes the salary and bonuses, among others, for the chief executive officer, senior vice-president, vice president and chief technology officer.

Also noted in the A-G's report was that salary payments of RM4.26mil and RM21.59mil were made to employment agencies supplying trainers, assistant researches and workers whose names could not be verified.