Disclose findings of three PAC probes, says anti-graft group

 

A PAC group found administrative weaknesses behind the failure of the 1BestariNet project for digital teaching and learning. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The anti-corruption group Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) has urged the government to publicly disclose the findings of three investigations by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the parliamentary watchdog on federal spending.

TI-M president Muhammad Mohan said the committee is an organ of Parliament and its findings should be given due regard and respect.

“There is no point having the PAC do its work only to be stymied later by lack of enforcement by the executive,” he said in a statement.

On Nov 18, PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh announced that the committee would investigate discrepancies in the defence ministry’s land swap deals from 1995 to 2018, the transport ministry’s Automated Enforcement System (2012 to 2018) and the education ministry’s 1BestariNet project (2011 to 2019).

He said a PAC committee had found there were losses related to the land deals and that political considerations had outweighed the defence ministry’s mandate. An analysis of the RM2.7 billion 1BestariNet project showed that it had failed because of administrative weaknesses.

Mohan questioned if responsible parties will be held accountable for the failure.

Launched by then education minister Muhyiddin Yassin, 1BestariNet was aimed at providing government schools with high-speed 4G connectivity and an online learning platform with the Frog Virtual Learning Environment.

He also commended the committee for its good work and investigative discoveries.

“TI-M will continue to support the good work, integrity and independence of the PAC and eagerly awaits the outcome of the above three probes to be publicly disclosed in a transparent manner as accountability to the rakyat is what the PAC stands for.” - FMT