PAC to visit Lumut naval base, start LCS proceedings on June 10

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will be commencing its proceedings on the construction progress of the second generation littoral combat ships (LCS) owned by the Navy.

PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the committee will be making a visit to the naval base in Lumut, Perak where the ships are being constructed on Saturday (June 10).

"In taking the recommendation from the PAC of the 14th Parliament which wants the Defence Ministry to submit the latest development to PAC every three months, the 15th-term PAC will also be tabling the LCS progress report every three months to the Dewan Rakyat.

"For this report, it will touch on the construction progress made from October 2022 to May 2023," she said in a media conference at the lobby of Parliament Building on Thursday (June 8).

The construction of the LCS has been mired in controversy when PAC revealed that no units had been completed despite the government having paid RM6.083bil to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS).

In another development, Mas Ermieyati said PAC would be calling the secretaries-general of several ministries to attend proceedings relating to issues raised on their respective ministries following a joint briefing with the National Audit Department.

She said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry secretary-general would be called on June 14 to explain the weaknesses in fund receipts in the form of finance and assets as well as the Padi Price Subsidy Scheme.

The secretaries-general of the Health Ministry and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will be called on June 15 to explain the issue of procurement and management of the Covid-19 outbreak, which includes the issue of 1.1 million doses of expired vaccine, 93 units of ventilators which could not be used and the excess stock of boots and protective suits, she said.

In addition, she said PAC will also summon the Treasury and Rural and Regional Development Ministry secretaries-general as well as the chief executive officer of Felcra Bhd on June 27 because its audited financial statements for 2019, 2020 and 2021 have not been finalised yet.

"PAC will also get a briefing on the Jana Wibawa Programme from the Finance Ministry," she said.

Touching on the PAC proceedings, Mas Ermieyati said the committee hoped that its proceedings would be open to the public from next year in line with the government's institutional reform agenda.

"I believe the administration of Parliament has prepared and has the ability in terms of human resources and information technology equipment to carry out open proceedings. – Bernama