KOTA KINABALU, Oct 2 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will continue proactive measures by going on the ground to directly observe the issues faced by the public, ensuring that government projects truly benefit the people, said its chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.
This approach will also strengthen the cooperation between Federal and state PACs which had the mandate to monitor government expenditure and finances at the Federal and state levels.
As part of this effort, the Federal PAC made its first working visit to Sandakan and Tawau, focusing on proceedings related to national water management under the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (Petra), as well as rural water supply issues in Sabah and Sarawak under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW).
“When we conduct these site visits, we can see first-hand how projects are being implemented and receive direct feedback from the communities involved, which is crucial compared to just sitting in a hearing room listening to reports from others.
“This time, we were able to see for ourselves, especially when dealing with technical issues,” she told the press after the proceedings on national water management and rural water supply in Sabah and Sarawak today.
During the working visit, the PAC was briefed on project implementation issues, particularly those flagged by the Auditor-General in its report.
“The PAC acknowledges the efforts and improvements made by the ministries, namely Petra and KKDW, as well as the agencies under them and the state governments involved, to ensure that projects are completed within the scheduled timeframe,” Ermieyati said.
At the same time, she said the state PAC members were present during the proceedings to hear explanations from Petra and KKDW regarding the two issues.
“The Federal PAC hopes that projects carried out in Sabah will continue to be monitored by the state PAC. We are planning to invite state PAC members to join every working visit involving state government departments funded by the Federal government,” Ermieyati said.
Meanwhile, she said the results from the proceedings could not be released yet, as they would affect the final report to be presented by the PAC.
“However, I can say that the approach we are taking is very important, and we hope to apply it to other emerging issues, ensuring that this method provides a significant impact.
“The PAC will finalise its report, providing a comprehensive summary and recommendations on national water management and rural water supply in Sarawak and Sabah, based on explanations and testimonies from today’s proceedings,” Ermieyati said.
— Bernama
