The Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak), which had previously called for MPN to be disbanded, said the individuals implicated in the report must be probed.

Any talk of a merger was merely a “blatant cover up”, Gerak chair Sharifah Munirah Alatas told FMT.

“We are playing around with taxpayer money. This is bad governance and corruption,” she said, referring to questions over the use of RM3.38 million in government grants the council received in 2022.

In November 2024, the Public Accounts Committee identified several issues linked to MPN, which is parked under the Prime Minister’s Department, including unapproved allowances totalling RM207,000 in 2022 and 2023.

Other issues highlighted included the misuse of facilities and funds and a lack of clarity in amendments to the council’s articles of association.

“Why talk about mergers when these have not been resolved?” she asked.

On Wednesday, PAC proposed that the government consider merging MPN with other think tanks such as the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) to strengthen its role as a policy advisory body.

PAC chairman Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the suggestion was part of feedback included in a follow-up report tabled following findings made in November last year as regards the council’s governance and financial issues.

Munirah questioned whether ISIS or any other reputable think tank would be willing to merge with MPN, given the circumstances the latter finds itself in.

“This is an important question to address as well.”

Azmi Hassan, an MPN fellow, said there was no justification for a merger, saying MPN should remain an independent entity.

He said PAC’s recommendation was linked to issues it had identified in the past and that a merger would not resolve any of those problems.

“The issue, in this case, is not with the organisation but a handful of individuals within the organisation.”