THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will be commencing its proceeding on the construction progress of the second-generation littoral combat ships (LCSs) owned by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

PAC chairman Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the committee will visit the RMN base in Lumut, Perak, which is the location of the LCS construction, on Saturday.

“In taking the recommendation from the PAC of the 14th parliament, which wants the Defence Ministry to submit the latest development to PAC every three months, the 15th term PAC will also be tabling the LCS progress report every three months to Dewan Rakyat,” she said in a media conference at the lobby of Parliament House today.

“For this report, it will touch on the construction progress made from October 2022 to May 2023.”

Earlier, the construction of LCS was mired in a controversy when PAC revealed that none has been completed despite the government having paid RM6.083 billion to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd.

In another development, Mas Ermieyati said PAC will be calling up the secretaries-general of ministries to attend its proceedings relating to issues raised on their respective ministries following the joint briefing with the National Audit Department.

She said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry secretary-general will be called up on June 14 to explain the weaknesses in fund receipts in the form of finance and assets as well as the Padi Price Subsidy Scheme.

The secretaries-general of the Health Ministry and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry will be called up on June 15 to explain the issue of procurement and management of the Covid-19 outbreak, which includes the issue of 1.1 million doses of expired vaccine, 93 units of ventilator that could not be used and the excess stock of boots and protective suits, she said.

In addition, she said, PAC will also summon the secretaries-general of the Treasury and Rural and Regional Development Ministry as well as the chief executive officer of Felcra Bhd on June 27 because Felcra’s audited financial statements for 2019, 2020 and 2021 have not yet been finalised.

“PAC will also get a briefing on the Jana Wibawa Programme from the Finanace Ministry,” she said.

On the PAC proceedings, Mas Ermieyati said the committee hoped that they would be open to the public from next year in line with the government’s institutional reform agenda.

“I believe the administration of parliament has prepared and has the ability in terms of human resources and information technology equipment to carry out open proceedings,” she said. – Bernama, June 8, 2023.