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KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said agreed with Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s decision today to debate the Auditor-General’s Report (LKAN) 2021 in Parliament.
She said that the proposal to debate the Auditor-General’s Report is being debated for the first time in the Parliament.
“In all my life, 5 terms as MP I have never heard this matter discussed in the House of Representatives.
“I don’t know why the Opposition MPs don’t want to debate this issue, this is about people’s money, not our money,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
She said that if the MPs don’t debate the LKAN, the public cannot voice their issues through the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members, which are only a few.
“Are we saying that less than 20 MPs only can discuss this and give remarks on this issue?
“Is it understood that we as MPs from frontbenchers, backbenchers and the Opposition benchers cannot discuss directly? Only PAC can discuss,” she asked.
She added that the government acknowledges and takes seriously the issues raised in the report.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed related ministers to thoroughly examine the matters raised.
“All issues involving leaks, non-compliance with regulations, non-compliance with conditions, and weaknesses in planning need to be examined and also the lessons learned so that they do not repeat themselves in the implementation of activities, programmes or projects in the future,” she said.
She said the Auditor-General’s Report also raises issues of serious irregularities in accounting, custody of public money or public savings as well as management of government activities and government companies that require effective action from ministries, departments and agencies to be audited.
“We are aware of the challenges faced by the Auditor-General in carrying out his mandate and responsibilities requiring serious attention from relevant parties while the main recommendations in the report need to be implemented effectively.
“In the Auditor-General carrying out his mandate, this honourable House asks all parties to unite and support the government so that the audit findings and recommendations in the report can be taken seriously by the parties involved.
“It is to overcome the weaknesses found, further preventing the leakage of public money from continuing,” she said.
Earlier today, a commotion erupted in the Dewan Rakyat following the move by Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs to object to the motion to debate the audit report and the seats in the Opposition bloc were empty as the Dewan Rakyat proceeded to debate the LKAN 2021 Series 2.
