PUTRAJAYA is looking to decrease the prime minister’s power and increase the authority of the legislature so government activities can be overseen and controlled by Parliament.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said this includes the selection of the auditor-general, who is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the prime minister.

“We will move the power of selecting the auditor-general to a special parliamentary select committee. Anyone, including those in the government, are not allowed to interfere with the selection.

“This means that the government or the prime minister will have no power to punish, fire, or demote them,” he said after attending the cabinet special committee meeting on anti-corruption in Putrajaya today.

The Pakatan Harapan chairman said the cabinet also agreed to form several other special parliamentary select committees that will select senior officers for government agencies.

Dr Mahathir said the select committees would take punitive action if officers of the Auditor-General’s Office, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and other government agencies were found to have committed wrongdoing.

“The audit department is important as through it we can find out whether government business is proceeding accordingly or not.”

Dr Mahathir said the select committees would also determine the budget for these agencies.

“These are among the ways we are tightening the administration.

“We hope these actions can reduce corruption.”

To eradicate corruption, he said, there would need to be constitutional amendments.

“Although we don’t have a majority in Parliament, we are confident that we can get support from the opposition… and then we will propose in Parliament,” he said.

Dr Mahathir said the government would be bringing up the matter immediately with the opposition as it wished to see quick progress. – August 13, 2018.