KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today held proceedings on the development of Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) subsidy management.
Its chairman, Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad in a statement today said for the proceeding on EMGS under the Ministry of Education, the committee heard clarifications and explanations from the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Dr Mohd Gazali Abas, Higher Education Department director-general Datin Paduka Ir Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir and EMGS chief executive officer Shahinuddin Sharif.
“The committee was briefed on the issues of EMGS, among them corporate governance and the management of the remaining grant from government amounting to RM22.13 million which has yet to be utilised for promotion and marketing.
“Apart from that, data on international students who will be completing or had completed their studies was not updated in the Student Application & Registration System (STAR) owned by EMGS and the report for each promotion and marketing activity was not tabled at EMGS Board of Directors’ meeting,” she said in a statement here today.
Meanwhile, in the proceeding on LPG subsidy management under the Finance Ministry (MOF) as well as the Customs Department, Noraini said the committee heard the statements of Treasury deputy secretary-general (Policy) Datuk Siti Zauyah Md Desa who represented Treasury secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir and Customs director-general Datuk Seri Paddy Abdul Halim.
“In the proceeding, members of PAC raised questions on the weaknesses in LPG subsidy payment management, weaknesses in enforcement and monitoring as well as failure of LPG wholesalers and retailers to maintain proper stock record.
“Some wholesale and retail premises did not have evidence of ever being inspected by Domestic Trade and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNHEP) enforcement officers,” she said.
Noraini said both issues were raised in the 2018 Auditor-General’s Report Series 1. — Bernama
