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New Straits Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Familiar story in AG's Report as billions lost without action
HERE we go again. "Serious irregularities" and "weaknesses" in ministries and government entities are back as national bad news. Our lawmakers must be outraged to hear such misuse of the public purse on the first day of the Dewan Rakyat session. Whatever the year, the Auditor General's Report on government entities bleeding red ink remains very much the same story. There have been years of lessons, yet none learnt. Neither has there been the will to hold errant officers to account. For a nation that is in debt to the tune of RM1.28 trillion and trying hard to pay it off, that is heartbreaking. Why no one has the will to put an end to such systemic failures in the public service has become an annual question. Let's be clear. We are not counting pennies here. We are talking of hundreds of millions of ringgit. Of the five audits conducted over the period of the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plans, the auditors found serious irregularities in three. The first is Felcra Bhd's governance failure in four plantations involving a total of RM241.76 million from 2022 to 2024. Don't fault us for asking: Aren't the top management and board members up to the task? The second, an audit on Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's tender process, though involving a smaller sum — RM58.45 million — disclosed a mind-bending outcome. There, the Tender Procurement Committee selected companies that were not recommended by the Technical Evaluation, Financial Evaluation and Pre-Tender Committees. One overrides three? There can't be a clearer example of a violation of tender procedures. The culprits must not be spared. The third audit relates to army vehicle contract mismanagement. There, RM162.75 million in penalties for late delivery of Gempita vehicle remains uncollected and RM1.42 million in penalties for service delays has yet to be enforced. If that wasn't enough, RM107.54 million in service procurement was split into smaller packages, circumventing regulations. The other two audits findings were related to subsidised cooking oil programme flaws under the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry and weaknesses in the government's pre-qualification procurement introduced by the Finance Ministry, bringing the total value of the five audits to RM48.873 billion. Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) attributes the systemic breakdowns to three causes: outdated procedures, weak financial oversight and a culture of impunity. In our book, though, the culture of impunity is the root cause. Year after year leakages, wastages, irregularities and weaknesses have been highlighted by the Auditor General's Report, yet we hear little about the guilty being held accountable. Quiet slap on the wrists won't do. The government being transparent doesn't mean merely making the audit reports public, it must also be transparent about accountability. TI-M is right in calling on all implicated ministries and agencies to publicly disclose remedial actions within 30 days, covering recovery of funds, disciplinary measures and procedural reforms, to restore public trust. The Auditor General's Reports mustn't just be treated as something to be read and filed away. It must be a call to action. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission must spring into action, if it hasn't already. Accountability is the best medicine against the cancer of impunity.
Daily Express
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Express
MP pushes for new hospital in Libaran
Published on: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jul 15, 2025 By: Winnie Kasmir Text Size: He says HDOK is now operating beyond its original capacity and unable to cope with the growing number of patients. SANDAKAN: Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir has urged the government to seriously consider and expedite the proposal for a new hospital in the Libaran constituency, citing critical strain on public healthcare facilities at the Duchess of Kent Hospital (HDOK) in here. He said HDOK is now operating beyond its original capacity and is unable to cope with the growing number of patients, not only from Sandakan but also from Libaran, Beluran, Telupid and Kinabatangan. Advertisement 'The wards are often full, the shortage of beds has become a daily issue, and patients are left waiting or placed along hospital corridors,' he said in a statement on Saturday. Suhaimi also highlighted the worsening parking situation at the hospital. 'The lack of adequate parking spaces continues to complicate matters for patients, their families and hospital staff. 'I have repeatedly raised this issue in Parliament and the Sabah State Assembly over several terms, yet the proposal for a new hospital in Libaran has not been included in any of the 10th, 11th or 12th Malaysia Plans. 'This is deeply disappointing, especially when the population of Sandakan has now exceeded 500,000,' he said. Suhaimi believes that establishing a new hospital in Libaran would not only ease congestion at HDOK but also improve access to healthcare for rural residents, particularly those living far from the city centre. He further called on the Ministry of Health to speed up the deployment of specialists and medical equipment at HDOK, especially in critical areas such as cardiology, anaesthesiology, emergency care and paediatrics services which remain insufficient at the current facility. 'The people of Libaran and the entire east coast of Sabah deserve a fair and efficient healthcare system. This is not a political issue. It is a matter of public welfare and saving lives,' he said. Suhaimi, who is also the Umno Sabah Information Chief, reiterated his commitment to pushing this agenda forward until it is no longer delayed, ensuring that the people of Sabah receive healthcare services on par with other states in Malaysia. 'This is about the well-being and health of the people. Libaran and the east coast of Sabah are entitled to the same healthcare standards as any other region in the country,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
