KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin who chairs the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today said she has asked that the bipartisan parliamentary watchdog’s role and responsibilities be included in an upcoming amendment of the Audit Act 1957.
She said it is important PAC’s duties be spelt out to boost both its efficiency and effectiveness.
“As informed by the auditor-general, the government has agreed to amend the Audit Act 1957 next year.
“The PAC is requesting the government include the role and responsibilities of the PAC in the amendments,” she told a news conference at Parliament here this afternoon.
She expressed confidence that the Attorney-General’s Chambers will include the PAC’s suggestions to list its role and responsibilities in the amended Act to ensure the cooperation of its future panel members from both sides of the political divide.
The amendments to the Audit Act 1957 was first greenlit in 2019, during the first Pakatan Harapan federal government then led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister.
The aim was to give more authority to the auditor-general to act independently.
Currently, the National Audit Department is under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department, although the prime minister does not hold power over the auditor-general directly.
