KUALA LUMPUR – Probes by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) do not necessarily indicate issues concerning wastage or misappropriation of public funds, said the committee in response to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The statement by PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin today comes after Loke’s comments yesterday questioning the committee’s decision to probe the RM10.7 billion leasing agreement with China for electric trains.
While Loke had said that he does not “understand” what PAC is seeking to investigate as the contract has yet to be signed, Mas Ermieyatie clarified that this is not the first time PAC will be initiating proceedings before Putrajaya has inked a binding contract.
Emphasising that the committee is tasked with scrutinising any procurement proposal or government-linked contract, she pointed out that the Transport Ministry’s chief secretary had also given an explanation to Parliament’s Special Select Committee for Infrastructure, Transport and Communication regarding the issue on December 4.
“Previously, many parties gave the impression to the PAC that the committee was often late in starting proceedings regarding procurement issues or the government’s financial governance, (with proceedings only starting) after it became problematic.
“This is what happened in many PAC proceedings, particularly the latest one regarding the acquisition of the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS),” the Bersatu lawmaker said.
She added that the government and ministries should view the PAC as the best platform to provide transparency and explanations to the people, highlighting that the committee’s reports contain recommendations for the government from 14 committee members consisting of opposition and government MPs.
She also said that the PAC welcomes Loke’s presence at the committee’s proceedings when it begins to provide an explanation of the electric trains’ acquisition, noting that his attendance would not be out of the ordinary as he had recently attended similar proceedings.
“PAC is of the view that the acquisition of KTM’s (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd) EMUs (electric multiple units) needs to be explained in more detail to the committee so that the people know why the Transport Ministry chose a 30-year lease model worth more than RM10 billion.
Last week, Mas Ermieyatie said that the leasing arrangement for the trains, which was reported to involve the Transport Ministry, Economy Ministry, Railway Assets Corporation and KTM will be one of the five projects PAC is set to probe starting February next year.
In August, Loke said Malaysia would enter into the RM10.7 billion leasing agreement with China to acquire an additional 62 passenger trains for KTMB.
He said the actual cost of the agreement would be finalised after the completion of negotiations with the China government and the sum would be paid in installments over 30 years. – December 19, 2024