I WOULD like to ask Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directly – what measurable results have followed your instructions on Auditor-General’s findings?
You directed the Finance Ministry (MOF) on Sept 1, 2023 to lead follow-up and ensure that ministries complied, warning that otherwise the findings would recur the following year.
In August 2024, you separately warned that department heads who failed to report their subordinates’ misconduct would face disciplinary action affecting promotion.
From my experience in senior private-sector roles, leaving audit findings unresolved puts the responsible head’s job on the line. Management must correct the weakness and demonstrate that the correction works. Why should public money receive any less protection?
I acknowledge the reported action. The Public Service Department’s (JPA) follow-up statistics for 2015-2025 which were updated in December 2025 recorded 314 officers receiving punishments, including 186 warnings and three dismissals.
Those figures span several administrations. Your Madani government also reported RM920.91 mil in revenue collection and re-payments arising from audit follow-up as of Sept 28, 2026.
But dear PMX, how many responsible department heads faced action for ignoring findings or failing to report misconduct?
How many were denied promotion under your warning? Were officers transferred or promoted while findings under their responsibility remained unresolved?
Who bears responsibility
A transfer cannot erase responsibility. A promotion should require scrutiny of how an officer handled outstanding audit findings.
Other countries experience failures, too. Singapore which publicly acknowledged approval and financial governance lapses in a major healthcare development has announced remedial measures and deadlines.
Indonesia’s audit board identified budgeting errors and activities undertaken without adequate funding. Their failures give us no excuse.
The Open Budget Survey 2025 scored Malaysia at 51/100 for budget transparency, behind the Philippines at 76, Indonesia at 71 and Thailand at 55. These scores measure access to budget information-not corruption. Will your government commit to closing that gap?
Will you require MOF and ministry heads to publish unresolved findings, responsible agencies, corrective deadlines, disciplinary outcomes and independently verified closure?
Where losses are established, will recovery efforts be disclosed? Where evidence warrants investigation or disciplinary action, will responsibility extend to senior management?
A revised allocation does not prove sound planning. Spending within a budget does not establish value for money. An unqualified audit opinion does not certify every contract, payment or management decision.
You issued the instructions. Malaysians are entitled to see the results and the Parliament must be able to scrutinise them.
Which recurring failures have stopped? Where they have continued, who has answered for them?
Taxpayers should not have to fund the same failures repeatedly. – Oct 27, 2026
Governance advocate and political commentator Datuk Dr Sivasampoh Kannikuddy is also a group CEO/executive with a background spanning finance, banking and strategic management, including leadership roles with MyOwn Inc. This opinion of his first appeared on X.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar/Facebook
