National unity minister Halimah Sadique said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was currently investigating not only the companies and NGOs that had received funds, “but also the entire process”.

“We’ll give them space (to carry out the probe),” she said when wrapping up her ministry’s debate on the Supply Bill 2022 at the committee stage.

She said this would allow her ministry to strengthen the weaknesses uncovered by the probe.

She was replying to two opposition MPs, who had asked why there was no internal probe on the alleged abuse of Mitra funds.

Gobind Singh Deo (PH-Puchong) had asked if an internal probe would be carried out and if appropriate action would be taken against those involved, while M Kula Segaran (PH-Ipoh Barat) had asked why an oversight committee was not set up to look into the matter.

Halimah said a thorough probe was needed from the time Mitra came under the Prime Minister’s Office under the Pakatan Harapan administration.

She stressed that MACC had initiated its probe even before MPs had raised the issue.

“We’re not hiding behind MACC. We asked MACC to probe,” she said.

Last week, Halimah and opposition MPs clashed over the alleged misuse of Mitra funds after the minister said she could not disclose any details because of the ongoing MACC probe.

The anti-graft body has said that its probe into 10 companies that received grants from Mitra is almost complete.