PAC to summon two individuals to give explanation on 1Azam

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will summon two individuals to explain on the weaknesses of the 1Azam Poverty Eradication Programme highlighted in the 2013 Auditor-General's Report.

PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said they were former Women, Family and Community Development Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Noorul Ainul Mohd Nur and former National Welfare Foundation (YKN) chief executive officer Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Syed Mohamad.

"Today, the current secretary-general Datuk Sabariah Hassan and Agriculture and Agro-based Industry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Arif Abdul Rahman have given their explanations.

"They were appointed in 2014 and were not involved in managing the programme which was established in 2010," he told reporters after chairing the PAC meeting at Parliament building here today.

He said among the weaknesses of the initiative were the selection of participants which was not based on the e-Kasih system, a registry to monitor the official national database of the hardcore poor.

In addition, Nur Jazlan said the equipments provided for were not fully utilised while some participants could not be identified and failure of the business projects.

"The issues range from non-compliance of standard operating procedure (SOP) and government regulations," he said.