'Re-Examine Audit Of Pakatan States'

ANOTHER LOOK: MP makes 'creative accounting' claims

THE auditor-general should re-examine the audit of Pakatan Rakyat-led states for "creative accounting" in a bid to portray themselves in a positive image, claimed the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC).

Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (BN-Kota Belud) named Penang as one of the state which he claimed made changes to their report so it would look good in the Auditor-General's Report 2011.

He said every state government was given a trust account whereby funds were provided from the state itself or the Federal Government.

"Funds from the state's trust accounts were transferred into their consolidated account. This sum is then passed off as revenue.

"It is akin to putting money in the left pocket from one's right pocket," Abdul Rahman said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

He urged the accounts be re-examined to refute Pakatan's claims that Barisan Nasional states were wasting public funds.

P. Kamalanathan (BN-Hulu Selangor) said funds were given to each state to carry out road maintenance and development works.

"The Selangor state government only used 58 per cent of the Federal Government's allocation. Where did the other 42 per cent go?"

The Auditor-General's Report 2011 stated Penang and Selangor had recorded revenues of RM192.19mil and RM62.5mil respectively.

Earlier, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) told the house problematic issues and projects involving six ministries named in the report have been marked for further action.

PAC deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said the list of projects was based on the level of public interest and the amount of public funds used by the ministries involved.

They included the building of military quarters (Defence Ministry); the supply of medication and pharmaceutical products (Health Ministry); the double-track railway project (Transport Ministry); projects handled by the Works Ministry and the Housing and Local Government Ministry; and loan approvals by the Finance Ministry.

"We will come up with another shortlist of issues and projects which need to be looked into when PAC chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid returns from haj next week."

He said the list was made to ensure management of public funds was carried out in an effective and systematic manner, as well as to identify weaknesses.

On another matter, the Kepong member of parliament said the committee had also discussed the approval of soft loans for the RM250 million National Feedlot Centre project.