A-G’s Report: RM10.3mil paid for unused systems in Immigration project

© mStarPETALING JAYA: The Immigration Department settled a full payment of RM10.3mil for unused biometric systems and equipment in its implementation of the Malaysian Immigration System (myIMMs), the 2015 Auditor-General’s Report revealed.

The National Audit Department found several weaknesses in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the myIMMs project, which is an online database of information installed across the Immigration Department’s local and foreign offices.

The RM29.9mil project was awarded through direct negotiations to HeiTech Padu Berhad in late 2010 and approved by the Finance Ministry.

Between April and November last year, an audit was carried out at the Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya, six branch offices nationwide, and five attaché offices overseas.

The Audit Department said it was dissatisfied with the contract management, implementation and foreign worker management aspects of the project.

“The agreement period was earlier than the date of approval for direct negotiation by MOF (Finance Ministry) and the Letter of Acceptance,” said the A-G’s report, which was released on Wednesday.

It also pointed out that a payment worth RM22.64mil was not supported by complete documentation.

“Full payment for uninstalled and unused Biometric system and equipment worth RM10.3mil had been made,” the report added.

It found that three of seven systems for application and payment of visa and passes were not utilised, while an agency link-up software was not installed despite full payment having been made.

The implementation of myIMMs also failed to look into conducting a comprehensive user acceptance test (UAT) and provisional acceptance test (PAT).

The report made several recommendations to the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department, which included abiding by the agreed contract terms to ensure that future systems are developed in accordance with required specifications.