KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will be commencing its proceeding on the construction progress of the second generation littoral combat ships (LCS) owned by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the committee will be making a visit to the RMN naval base in Lumut, Perak which is the location of the LCS construction on Saturday.

"In taking the recommendation from the PAC of the 14th Parliament which wants the Defence Ministry to submit the latest development to PAC every three months, the 15th Term PAC will also be tabling the LCS progress report every three months to Dewan Rakyat.

"For this report, it will touch on the construction progress made from October 2022 to May 2023,” she said in a media conference at the lobby of Parliament Building today.

Earlier the construction of LCS was mired in a controversy when PAC revealed that no units have been completed despite the government having paid RM6.083 billion to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS).

In another development, Mas Ermieyati said PAC will be calling the secretary-general (KSU) of the several ministries to attend its proceedings relating to issues raised on their respective ministries following the joint briefing with the National Audit Department.

She said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry KSU will be called on June 14 to explain the weaknesses in fund receipts in the form of finance and assets as well as the Padi Price Subsidy Scheme.

The secretaries-general of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation will be called on June 15 to explain the issue of procurement and management of the Covid-19 outbreak, which includes the issue of 1.1 million doses of expired vaccine, 93 units of ventilator which could not be used and the excess stock of boots and protective suit, she said.

In addition, she said PAC will also summon the secretary-general of Treasury and the KSU of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development as well as the chief executive officer of Felcra Bhd (FELCRA) on June 27 because Felcra’s audited financial statements for 2019, 2020 and 2021 have not yet been finalised.

"PAC will also get a briefing on the Jana Wibawa Programme from the Ministry of Finance,” she said.

Touching on the PAC proceedings, Mas Ermieyati said the committee hoped that its proceedings would be open to the public from next year in line with the government’s institutional reform agenda.

"I believe the administration of Parliament has prepared and has the ability in terms of human resources and information technology equipment to carry out open proceedings. — Bernama