KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will initiate proceedings on 25 punitive issues reported in the Auditor-General’s Report (LKAN) 2019 Series 2.
Its chairman, Wong Kah Woh, said among the issues was the uCUSTOMS system worth RM397.43 million involving the Ministry of Finance and the Malaysian Customs Department, which has yet to be completed since the project began in October 2013.
“The original cost of the project was RM317.78 million, and after being given five extensions of time (EOT), the cost of the project had gone up to RM397.43 million.
“The status of the project is still ‘incomplete’ and the money spent by the government for it so far had amounted to RM272.99 million,” he told a press conference at the Parliament building here today.
Also present was Auditor-General Datuk Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid who had earlier briefed the PAC on the audit findings.
Wong expected the proceedings involving the issues identified in the report to begin in November.
He said the PAC viewed seriously the increase in the number of punitive issues in the LKAN 2019 Series 2 compared to LKAN 2019 Series 1 which had identified only 11 punitive issues.
“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must be more aggressive and view seriously the issues raised in the LKAN. As such, the PAC urged the MACC to carry out an immediate probe into all issues categories as punitive,” he said.
Earlier, Nik Azman said the Malaysian Customs Department recorded the biggest waste of money with the uCUSTOMS system at RM272.99 million.
“It’s a waste of money because the project is incomplete but (the government) still has to pay,” he said.
— Bernama
