KUALA LUMPUR: Non-governmental organisation Centre for a Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) has called on the authorities to make public the progress and findings of investigations into alleged wrongdoings contained in the Auditor-General’s (A-G) report.

Cenbet co-president Lim Chee Wee in a statement on Tuesday said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the chief secretary to the government must make public the progress of the probes and their outcome.

He said that except for a few high-profile cases where the PAC had tabled its findings the MACC disclosed its investigations or prosecutions, the majority of the cases investigated remained concealed from the public.

“The public is often left clueless as to whether disciplinary or remedial action had been taken to ensure the problems are investigated and preventive steps are taken.

“(Publicising the investigations progress and findings) will help instil confidence in the government’s anti-graft drive and keep taxpayers informed of the latest efforts to get to the bottom of such wrongdoings involving misuse and mismanagement of public funds,” he said.

The first series of the A-G’s report was tabled earlier this week.

Lim also said all three parties mentioned must pursue and punish wrongdoers highlighted in the A-G’s report.

“The A-G releases its reports three times a year, each containing a litany of headline-grabbing cases ranging from overpaying suppliers to unauthorised use of public funds.

“Recently, it was reported that double-cashing of BR1M vouchers had cost the government some RM3 million in losses between 2012 and 2014.  

“The relevant authorities to act on these wrongdoings are the MACC where there is corruption; the PAC which is the oversight body for all government finances; and the chief secretary to the government, who can act on misconduct by civil servants,” he said. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on April 10, 2015.