First A-G Report Of 2014 Reveals Shocking Truths On How Taxpayers’ Money Is Being Used
The first series of the Auditor-General (AG) Report 2014 tabled on 6 April reveals that there is much room for improvement when it comes to resource management and internal control within ministries and governmental agencies.
Cover image via Lim Huey Teng / Malaysiakini
1. More than 6,000 people cashed the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) more than once with fraudulent claims between 2012 and 2014, resulting in the loss of more than RM3 million
Image via Saiful Bahri / The Star Online
2,188 recipients for BR1M had cashed in their vouchers more than once amounting RM1.11 million in 2012. A total of 2,490 recipients did the same in 2013, which amounted to RM1.14 million and 1,899 recipients in the following year (2014) amounting to RM1.09 million.
As of 31 December 2014, more than 70% of recipients who've cashed their vouchers more than once had failed to refund the Finance Ministry – 1,555 people for BR1M 2012, 1,850 people for BR1M 2013 and1,401 people for BR1M 2014.
According to the report, multiple BR1M claims were made possible due to banks failing to establish links to their own online database when payouts were made via offline mobile counters
The report further suggested that the Finance Ministry prevent multiple payouts by introducing approval letters and crediting payments directly to recipients' bank accounts as well as to update the standard operating procedure from time to time
Image via Rakyat News
2. Several governmental clinics have been said to be "endangering patients" with their use of sterilising equipment worth about RM124,500 with fitness certificates that expired between three months to nine years ago
Image via LBN.my
The audit also found that the clinics had purchased over RM5.41 million worth of medicines, more than RM1.13 million over the permitted sum. Certain assets were also discovered to be either underutilised or are in bad conditions.
The report also revealed some procedural slip-ups with the clinics – medicines are stored alongside stationery and disposable items, while medical stock and supplies are handled by unauthorised personnel
Image via The Star Online
3. The Communication and Multimedia Ministry paid RM88.13 million to three contractors for an incomplete broadband project in East Malaysia
Image via Sabahkini
4. The Malaysian Armed Forces spent over RM112 million to charter flights from Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia for its officers, but more than RM375,000 went up in smoke due to last minute no-shows
Image via Wazari Wazir / Flickr
5. Assets amounting to more than RM1 million belonging to the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) were found to be underutilised, badly damaged, or completely unusable
Image via Wonderful Malaysia
