Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi), who is also a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said this proposal should be carefully considered by the government to strengthen the role of the national audit department.

“This is because sometimes, when irregularities or ‘red flags’ occur, certain parties may be reluctant to make a report,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat.

Earlier, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Ramli Nor asked Syahredzan whether it was appropriate to mandate the A-G to directly report to the authorities when criminal conduct is found during an audit.

“There is no need to wait for the relevant ministry to (lodge a) report,” Ramli added.

The 2024 A-G’s report released last Thursday recommended that the human resources ministry refer the Human Resource Development Corporation’s (HRD Corp) management to the enforcement agencies after the company failed its audit.

It said the actions and decisions of the company’s management did not comply with SOPs and failed to protect the interests necessary for achieving HRD Corp’s objectives.

The PAC also revealed that the company’s investment panel had not reported its investment activities appropriately to its board of directors, with levies collected “aggressively” used for high-risk investments.

The human resources ministry subsequently filed a report with MACC over the audit and PAC’s findings. The anti-graft agency opened an investigation into the matter and paid a “visit” to the firm’s office yesterday.

The A-G’s report also revealed numerous irregularities in the management of the National Professors Council (MPN), a body overseen by the Prime Minister’s Department.

The irregularities include the discovery that two MPN trustees misused RM373,516 of the council’s funds to finance the operations of two companies in which they hold shares.