KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM157.73mil has been recovered by the National Audit Department through audits done between 2024 and June this year, says Auditor-General Datuk Seri Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi.
She said that the amount was collected through penalty claims, outstanding rent, the collection of Liquidated Ascertained Damages (LAD), overdue land leases, and the collection of duties and taxes.
“The amendments on the Audit Act 1957 (Act 62) also empower the Auditor-General to audit other bodies, including registered companies that receive financial guarantees from the government.
“(This is) to track public funds through the new approach of 'Follow The Public Money Audit', issue any guidelines if necessary and provide any recommendations in addressing serious misconduct to prevent the misuse of public funds,” she said in a statement on Monday (July 21).
She has also revealed that a total of 1,856 gazetted government companies have been audited through the eSelfAudit system.
Wan Suraya also said that five audits have been conducted involving seven ministries, with the total costs of audited programmes and projects reaching RM48.873bil.
“The scope of the audit encompasses programmes, activities or projects that were implemented within the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plan,” she said.
The audits, she said, had found irregularities involving several agencies such as Felcra, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Armed Forces.
For Felcra, it was revealed that there were weaknesses in governance in the procurement implementation of leasing one palm oil plantation in Sandakan, Sabah, and three palm oil plantations in Gua Musang, Kelantan involved procurements totalling RM241.76mil in the period from 2022 to 2024.
Meanwhile, the audits on the procurement and services at UKM found irregularities in tender and procurement processes involving RM58.45mil.
“This happened when the tender procurement committee had chosen companies that were not recommended by the technical evaluation committee, financial evaluation committee and pre-tender committee,” said Wan Suraya.
She added that there were also weaknesses in the contract administration and procurement management under the armed vehicles management by the Armed Forces, which saw a total of RM162.75mil fail to be collected.
Fines on the company causing the delay in maintenance, repair and supply of spare parts, worth RM1.42mil.
“In addition, it was found that the procurement of maintenance services, repairs, and the supply of spare parts for armoured vehicles totalling RM107.54 million was carried out in small fragmented parts,” said Wan Suraya.
