KUALA LUMPUR: The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, has announced that Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar will appear before the committee on Nov 2 to provide statements regarding the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp). This statement comes in response to a report by a news portal, which claimed that the minister had been summoned before the PAC on Monday (Oct 23), but according to Mas Ermieyati, this report is inaccurate. Similarly, she denied another report by a different news portal on Oct 24, which claimed that the PAC was concerned about a lack of monitoring in the HRD Corp.
Mas Ermieyati emphasized that all PAC proceedings are governed by the Official Secrets Act 1972 (Act 88) and publishing reports related to these proceedings is a violation of the Standing Order 85. She urged the media to be more careful and responsible by verifying news from authentic sources. She explained that the decision to summon the two witnesses, including the Human Resources Minister, was based on the fact that their names had been mentioned in the previous proceeding, and it was also meant to ensure fairness.
According to Mas Ermieyati, another witness who will appear before the PAC is a representative from the Finance Ministry in the HRD Corp, and this appearance is scheduled for Nov 1. The PAC began its investigation into the management of the HRD Corp on Oct 23, focusing on the organization’s funds and training programs. While these issues were not highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report, the proceedings are being conducted in accordance with the Parliamentary Standing Order 77(1).
Additionally, Mas Ermieyati revealed that the PAC is currently in the process of completing a report on the progress of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project from June to September 2023. She expects the report to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat during the current session.
