Don’t wait to take action over audit findings, says former A-G

Former auditor-general Ambrin Buang said the authorities should not wait until the Public Accounts Committee debates audit findings to take action. (Bernama pic)PUTRAJAYA: Former auditor-general Ambrin Buang says auditees should take immediate corrective or punitive action as soon as audit findings are issued, warning that delays will undermine accountability.Ambrin said the authorities should not wait until the Public Accounts Committee debates the findings to take action, and that “taking your own sweet time” could also allow evidence to disappear.“We normally expect auditees to take either corrective or punitive measures when we finish our reports,” he said during a dialogue on public governance at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here.Ambrin said corrective measures included addressing weaknesses identified in audit findings, while disciplinary cases should be referred to the public services department, and cases involving fraud, corruption or other criminal wrongdoing should be reported to the police or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.Separately, Malaysia Integrity and Governance Society president Akhbar Satar said Malaysia could look to Hong Kong's offence of “misconduct in public office” as an example of firm enforcement against wrongdoing.“If you are irresponsible, if you fail to carry out your official duties, you can be charged,” he said, referring to the offence introduced under Hong Kong's anti-corruption framework.According to Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption, an official commits misconduct in public office when, among others, the person wilfully neglects or fails to perform his duty without reasonable excuse or justification.Akhbar cited Hong Kong's enforcement record as an example of the importance of taking swift action against wrongdoing, contrasting it with cases that drag on for years and risk eroding public confidence in the justice system.