KUALA LUMPUR: The Auditor-General has been empowered to conduct audits on the accounts of 1,856 other companies, including government-linked companies (GLC).
The National Audit Department, in a statement on Saturday (Nov 2), said that this is based on the Audit Order (Accounts of Other Entities) (Amendment) 2024 [P.U.(A) 331/2024] that was gazetted on Oct 31 after receiving the consent of His Majesty the King of Malaysia.
According to the National Audit Department, the number is more than twice the total of 925 bodies gazetted in 2022.
"In line with the Audit Order, guidelines concerning the implementation of the auditing of GLCs are being developed by the National Audit Department.
"It is in line with the provisions under Section 7A of the Audit Act 1957, which gives the Auditor-General the authority to issue any guideline as necessary or adjust the benefits to carry out the allocation under the Act," it said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2025 on Oct 18, announced that the National Audit Department had been given a greater role to initiate audits of nearly 2,000 companies and entities receiving government allocations and guarantees.
Subsequently on Oct 22 during the Prime Minister's Question Time in Parliament, Anwar announced that the government had agreed for the Auditor-General to conduct audits of GLCs to ensure that government companies are managed according to the actual mandate, particularly the economic well-being of the people. – Bernama
