There’s no need for a public hearing to investigate the severance payments given to the aides of former Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, said Selangor’s Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat).

Its chairperson Hannah Yeoh (right), was responding to the audit report by Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI). She held that a thorough audit investigation had been conducted by the state government and the report had already been presented in the Selangor state assembly.

Yeoh, in a statement today, confirmed that the decision was made by the committee on Jan 5.

Former MBI chief executive officer Faekah Husin (left) yesterday slammed the audit report on the RM2.6 million worth of severance payments to Khalid’s former aides.

Faekah said the audit report was flawed, not done professionally and had malicious intent.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali had urged the eight former staff of Khalid to return the money within 14 days from the date of the letter of demand issued to them as the payment was made without following procedures and regulations.

Meanwhile, apart from the severance payment, Selcat had also discussed the implementation of the Freedom of Information enactment.

Yeoh said Selcat will probe on the implementation of the enactment as they had received complaints that it had not been effective in most state departments.

“We view the issue of access of information to the public seriously,” she said.

“Therefore, we have decided to conduct a public hearing on Jan 27 to investigate the effectiveness of the implementation of the enactment.”