KUALA LUMPUR – For the first time, the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report will be presented and debated in the Dewan Rakyat.
PAC member Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru-PH) said this would start next week, and was evidence of the government’s commitment to reforms.
He also said amendments to the Audit Act 1957, which seeks to improve governance and accountability in the public sector, was also another example of the government’s reforms.
Another reform achievement is allowing debate on audit reports, he added.
“These three matters are the institutional reforms promised by the Madani government.
“NGOs such as (electoral reforms group) Bersih and others should know this.
“They often say that the government is slow and does not implement institutional reforms. This is evidence of the success of the Madani government in implementing reforms,” Sim said when debating the Audit (Amendment) Bill 2024 during its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Elaborating on the bill, Sim said the amendments proposed were significant as they would expand the powers of the Audit Department to inspect private companies that received government grants.
“We know that these limitations have caused the Audit Department’s hands to be tied.
“From 2015 to 2018, when Audit Department officials conducted investigations into major scandals, they faced pressure and became the subject of various allegations and threats.
“For this reason, I feel it is a major success to have the Audit (Amendment) Bill,” he said.
The amendment bill was later passed by the lower House and will be sent to the Dewan Negara at the end of this month.
In a statement to explain the amendments, the Audit Department said the Audit Act 1957 had not been amended since 1991 and needed to be updated to be in line with best practices on governance and management of public funds.
“(The amendments) will empower the role of the auditor-general to ensure check and balance through financial audits, audits of performance, programmes and government activities, and audits of government-linked companies,” the department said.
The amendments will see the addition of new provisions to the act to widen its scope.
This will include audit of other entities, including companies, which receive government guarantees.
Other amendments will enable the “follow the public money” approach when conducting audits subject to approval by the finance minister, and widening the powers of the auditor-general to institute any necessary guidelines to implement the changes brought about by the amendments.
The auditor-general will also be empowered to conduct “follow-up audits” on any issue raised in the Auditor-General’s Report and by state and federal authorities or statutory bodies. – July 3, 2024