New New auditor-general has big shoes to fill

Amanah's Dzulkefly Ahmad, DAP's Charles Santiago and PKR's Wong Chen see the outgoing AG as a man of impeccable integrity.

PETALING JAYA: Opposition figures have voiced hope that the incoming auditor-general, Madinah Mohamad, has what it takes to fill the role.

Amanah strategy director Dzulkefly Ahmad and Klang MP Charles Santiago of DAP agree that she faces a great challenge in trying to match the professionalism of Ambrin Buang, the person she is replacing.

“She needs no reminder that she’ll be walking in the big shoes of Ambrin, who has impeccable integrity,” Dzulkefly told FMT.

Santiago questioned whether Madinah could “even come close” to performing like Ambrin.

“She has no record, whereas Ambrin is seen, through his yearly reports, as a person of integrity,” he said. “His credibility is based on his independence.”

Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen of PKR praised Ambrin for doing “a good job” of auditing for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) but added: “He could have been more outspoken. He would have ended his career as a national hero if he had resigned in protest at the lack of prosecution based on his 1MDB findings.”

Dzulkefly, noting that Madinah’s husband, Rizuan Abdul Hamid, is the Kepong Umno division chief, said he hoped she would not “sway” to her husband’s party’s interests.

Rizuan is on record as saying that he “would die” for Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Dzulkefly said: “Madinah has to maintain her professionalism because the auditor-general’s post is one of the most critical public offices. It oversees all government spending. We wish her all the best.”

Santiago said Madinah’s position had already been compromised by her husband’s position as an Umno leader.

“So we now have compromised another national institution. People’s faith in national institutions will continue to erode.

“The question for Najib is why appoint her? Was her appointment made to further cloud national accountability?”

Wong Chen, however, said Madinah should not be judged by her husband’s position or actions.

“This role requires someone with deep integrity,” he said. “As such, Parliament should have been allowed to vet her candidacy before her appointment. But to be fair, we have to judge her by her own actions and not by her husband’s.

“I hope she will improve on Ambrin’s work. Most importantly, I want to see the auditor-general compute what is the total amount of corruption and wastage in the government every year.”

Madinah’s appointment was announced by the chief secretary to the government, Ali Hamsa. She will be auditor-general for two years from tomorrow.

Madinah, 60, holds a doctorate in human resource management from Universiti Putra Malaysia. She retired last September after serving as the secretary-general of the education ministry. -FMT