KUALA LUMPUR: Auditor-General Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid said 11 punitive issues had been identified in the Auditor-General’s Report 2019 Series 1.
However, he said he could not reveal details because he did not want to interfere with investigations to be carried out.
“Of the 153 points we raised, 11 are punitive issues while the other 142 are corrective in nature.
“If we give details, those involved may be able to hide information. Normally, we will discuss these punitive cases with the enforcement agencies first.”
Nik Azman said if the issue involved the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), he would present the findings to them to check whether a case could be made out against those involved.
If the MACC cannot prosecute, the police may be able to take action if it is a commercial crime, for example, he told a press conference at Parliament here today.
He said apart from action by enforcement agencies, the Public Service Department could also conduct investigations and take disciplinary action against the civil servants involved.
Nik Azman said the department would set up a Special Investigation Committee to investigate these cases further and decide on the action to be taken.
He said he would also conduct “follow up” action through the Auditor-General’s Report Action Committee to minimise any losses by the government.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Wong Kah Woh, who was present at the press conference, said throughout this year, five PAC reports were tabled. Four of them involved issues raised in the auditor-general’s reports.
Wong said these four reports involved the Perlis Malaysia Sports School Project Management; Road Charge Collection System and Foreign Vehicle Entry Record Project; Foreign Worker Control Activities; and Management of Educational Malaysia Global Services issues.
“The fifth PAC report, on the Sale of Land Owned by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), involved public interest,” he said.
Apart from that, he said the committee also presented three reports on the various ministries’ follow-up action on the recommendations raised in the PAC report, involving claims for arrears of goods and services tax (GST) payment amounting to RM19.4 billion, Khazanah Nasional investment losses and the development of air mobility.