The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is an independent committee whose members are appointed at every term of the Parliament’s commencement (SO 77(2)). Its function is to examine the federal government’s spending and the appropriation of the sums granted by the Parliament to meet public expenditure.
The PAC’s primary source of information on the government’s financial accountability is the Auditor-General Annual Report which is produced twice a year. Assisted by reports by the Accountant General Department, the PAC examines both documents and initiates investigations into cases of public interest as a key mechanism to ensure good accountability of the federal government.
The role of the PAC chairperson was helmed by an opposition party member (Noraini Ahmad, Parit Sulong MP — BN) for the first time during the Pakatan Harapan administration. This practice of appointing an MP from the opposition (Wong Kah Woh, Ipoh Timur MP — DAP) to lead the PAC was maintained by the Perikatan Nasional government in May 2020.
The aim, therefore, is to legislate for the principal role to be assumed by an opposition party member of any Cabinet formed.
Setting in place an impartial counter-checking function where transparency and public access to information are being prioritised and demanded, it is hoped that this measure among others would increase government accountability in all matters pertaining to government spending.
Aug 7, 2022 PETALING JAYA: Public Accounts Committee chairman Wong Kah Woh said today the committee’s report on the littoral combat ship (LCS) project was based on the consensus of its 14 members from various political parties. He also said the statement he released on Thursday about the report was based on PAC’s opinion, summary […]
Aug 4, 2022 KUALA LUMPUR: The defence ministry will comply with all the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in continuing with the procurements under the littoral combat ship (LCS) project. Its minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the ministry and all related stakeholders would study the report which was released today. The ministry has given […]
Aug 2, 2022 The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ticked off the Prime Minister’s Department for not declassifying a report on the procurement and management of the road traffic automatic enforcement system (AES). Instead of fully declassifying the 2019 report, as recommended by the committee last year, several names are still censored, said PAC chairperson […]
July 5, 2022 KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi was called by the Public Accounts Committee yesterday to record his statement on the Defence Ministry’s (Mindef) land swap deal. PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said Onn Hafiz was called as the fourth witness in the hearing proceeding, held at […]
May 28, 2022 A special audit must be carried out on the procurement of medical equipment and medicine during the Covid-19 pandemic following a recent disclosure by the anti-graft body of suspected corruption, says the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said he had officially brought the matter up with the Auditor-General […]
May 27, 2022 PETALING JAYA: Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Wong Kah Woh says he has informed Auditor-General Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid to conduct a special audit on government procurement and expenditure for medical services during the Covid-19 pandemic. This comes as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki revealed on Tuesday the anti-graft […]
April 14, 2022 Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin appeared on Thursday morning (April 14) before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to testify in proceedings relating to the development and acquisition of the MySejahtera mobile application. During the nearly three-hour meeting, Tengku Zafrul presented in the first […]
April 14, 2022 The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will call up three agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department next Thursday (April 21) to provide explanations on the development and procurement of MySejahtera, its chairman Wong Kah Woh said. “The PAC is of the opinion that there is a need to call other witnesses to provide […]
April 14, 2022 Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today heard testimony, on its first day of investigations into MySejahtera, about the development, ownership, and security of personal data on the Covid-19 app. Today’s proceedings of over three hours, which saw PAC questioning Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, also discussed the […]
July 21, 2021 (PN) The Public Accounts Commitee (PAC) which is set to resume its proceedings on July 27 will focus on the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccines by the Federal government under the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV). In its proceeding, the PAC is expected to call upon the […]
