Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 10): Parliament should carry out its oversight function on a regular basis by establishing parliamentary select committees in the wake of the recent financial scandals in the country, including those involving state investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), says G25, a group of prominent retired Malay civil servants.

In a statement today, the group said lawmakers should take a more effective approach to ensure ministries and departments were fully accountable on financial management and how budgetary allocations were spent.

“For example, a minister who spends the whole of the ministry’s travelling budget within the first few months of the year, or who takes a large delegation to an international conference without prior clearance from the Treasury, must be made accountable for his conduct.

“In our system of parliamentary democracy, the only authority that can question the minister’s spending is Parliament,” the group said.

G25 said the existence of a select committee on external debt could have avoided the 1MDB fallout, as questions on its foreign currency debt would have prompted a more prudent financial operation of the company.

The group said these committees could also hire lawyers, accounting firms or senior professors to prepare special reports.

“The parliamentary select committee system will entail operating costs which are necessary to help save billions of ringgit that otherwise will be lost through poor management in the ministries and departments or through unethical conduct of ministers and civil servants.

“The existence of these committees with authority to question any minister or government official at any time enables Parliament to make everyone holding decision-making powers more responsible and accountable in his official or private life,” G25 added.

Another advantage of such committees is that the public will have access to fact-based testimonies by witnesses and independent professionals on issues of public concern, and need not only rely on social media reports which may be false, inaccurate or unfair to the government.

“The select committee system is the best way for the government to be transparent and be accountable and maintain its reputation.”

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