Ship, Finas, huge highway overrun in PAC's sights

The Public Accounts Committee will investigate how the East Coast Highway 2 project cost has ballooned by about RM800 million to RM2.9 billion.

According to chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamad, the PAC will call up the Public Works Department to explain the overrun of the 79.66km Terengganu expressway.

This follows the tabling of the third instalment of the Auditor- General's Report 2012 in Parliament today.

Besides that, the PAC will also probe the National Film Council (Finas), whose accounts the auditor-general has found to be "unsatisfactory".

"The Audit Department ranks departments on a scale of 'very good', 'good', 'satisfactory' and 'unsatisfactory'.

"Finas is ranked 'unsatisfactory' as there are issues of its accounts not being submitted," Nur Jazlan told reporters after a briefing today from Auditor-General Ambrin Buang.

It will also investigate Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) for a commissioned research and study ship, which is still not ready three years after its due completion date.

Finas and UMT are under the purview of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry and the Education Ministry respectively.

Nur Jazlan (left), who is also Pulai MP, said the officers resposible will likely be called in January, as many PAC members and government officers will be on leave this month.

The investigations will be on top of PAC's ongoing probe into matters raised in the second instalment of the Auditor-General's Report 2012, tabled in Parliament in October.

Nur Jazlan that PAC would still need to listen to the Education Ministry on the reported mismanagement of funds for security services in schools.

"We will call the minister on this. It is less a matter of policy but rather the implementation of the policy which has many weaknesses.

"We hope to send a serious message to the ministry...(as it) pays RM800 million a year for security guards in schools, which is a large sum," he said.

The PAC will also continue with its investigation into the long delay in the construction of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2, which was supposed to have opened its gates on June 28.