AG Report 2014: PAC to summon 10 ministries over weaknesses

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will summon 10 ministries before the next Parliament session to give explanations with regards to the project implementation weaknesses raised in the Auditor-General's (AG) Report 2014.

PAC chairman, Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the ministries were the Sabah Housing and Local Government Ministry; Defence Ministry; Home Ministry; Finance Ministry; Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

The other five are Rural and Regional Development Ministry; Communication and Multimedia Ministry; Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry; and the Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Ministry, he told reporters after chairing the PAC meeting at the Parliament House here Monday.

Nur Jazlan said among major issues raised in the report were weaknesses found in three People's Housing Projects (PPR) in Sabah implemented by the State Housing and Local Government Ministry through direct negotiations.

He said explanation would also be sought for two problematic projects under the Defence Ministry which were also done through direct negotiations involving the management of Prasarana and Kuala Lumpur Transit, and the construction and management of the Armed Forces' Wisma Perwira in Jalan Padang Tembak.

Nur Jazlan said the PAC also found several weaknesses of Home Ministry in the management of police quarters and the weaknesses of Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in implementing the special mammogram screening at National Population and Family Development Board's (LPPKN) Sejahtera clinics.

He said other issues were concerning the weaknesses of Finance Ministry, involving Kumpulan Modal Perdana Sdn Bhd and Putrajaya Corporation, as well of the Rural and Regional Development Ministry involving the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).

"PAC will also call the Communication and Multimedia Ministry to explain on the weaknesses concerning the broadband infrastructure projects in Sabah and Sarawak, and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to explain on weaknesses concerning the TPM Biotech project," he said.

Meanwhile, Nur Jazlan described the AG's report as good because the report at the beginning of the year only involved lower expenditure compared to end of year.

However, he said the government should review all projects involving direct negotiations and design-and-build concept, especially in the construction industry, as they appeared to have higher tendency to cause problems.

On PAC's suggestion that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry should temporarily suspend the ST15 rice subsidy programme, Nur Jazlan said the PAC was only making suggestion to improve the implementation of the programme that failed to achieve its objectives and it was up to the ministry to accept of reject the suggestion.

"The government should review the subsidy programme to determine whether or not it had achieved its objectives. PAC will be here to make things straight if a programme was found to have involved a waste or a misappropriation of public fund," he added.