KUALA LUMPUR (The Capital Post) — Malaysia’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has announced it will launch a formal investigation into alleged financial irregularities and governance lapses at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), reflecting concerns raised in the latest Auditor-General’s Report, PAC chair Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said on Monday.
Addressing the media at the Dewan Rakyat, Mas Ermieyati outlined that the PAC’s forthcoming proceedings will focus on three major areas flagged by the Auditor-General: potential breaches of the university’s constitution, revenue-generation activities undertaken without clear authority, and conflicts of interest among civil servants tied to UKM’s operations.
Officials will also examine the Research, Development, Commercialisation and Innovation (R&D&C&I) Programme after the audit highlighted performance shortfalls, possible wasteful spending and serious governance weaknesses that may have resulted in a loss of intellectual assets.
In addition, the committee will scrutinise the management practices of Syarikat Pelaburan Hartanah Berhad (PHB), a corporate entity involved in UKM-related projects, following concerns over oversight and governance of its physical development work.
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Mas Ermieyati said the timing of the PAC hearings and the list of witnesses to be called will be announced in due course, emphasising that the committee takes its role as a parliamentary check and balance seriously to ensure public funds are administered with transparency and integrity.
These proceedings come amid related probes by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) into governance and financial irregularities at the university, as highlighted by earlier Auditor-General findings, suggesting a broader effort to address accountability in public institutions. – The Capital Post
