Khairy To Act On Auditor General’s Report

 

(Bernama) — Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin assured that no stones would be left unturned against those found responsible for misusing tax payers money.

Khairy said the 2012 Auditor General’s report must be taken seriously as the ministry had to foot a hefty bill for organising the K-Pop concert during the Hari Belia 2012 celebration.

“What is certain is that we in the Ministry of Youth and Sports will take the necessary steps to ensure no wastage of funds because the government’s funds are the peoples’ money. We must be accountable for every Sen that we spend,” he said.

Khairy said collective responsibility was a meaningful practice for him and said “I must answer and act if there is any wrong doing in my ministry.”

“I cannot run away from the responsibility vested on me,” he said in his Facebook posting, today when commenting on the Auditor General’s 2012 report which found the RM1.1 million spent for the promotion and publicity of Hari Belia Negara 2012, as unreasonable.

“I view what was revealed by the Auditor General’s report seriously. If we are serious about carrying out transformation in a transparent manner, the report cannot be taken lightly. The people do not want to see leaders in the government keeping mum over the report,” he said.

Khairy said he cannot excuse himself by saying that the report involved expenditure of the ministry even before he was appointed Youth and Sports Minister.

According to the Auditor General’s report, the Youth and Sports Department under the Ministry had spent RM2.94 million, including the RM1.6 million that was paid to the K-Pop group, in conjunction with the Million Youths Gathering in 2012.

Khairy said the Ministry had to pay the amount for the K-pop concert because the sponsors did not fulfill their obligation.

As for the Majlis Belia Malaysia’s (MBM) repeated payment for a job that was already done, Khairy said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had carried out investigations and was in the final stage.

“As for other issues raised in the report, I have asked my officers to give me a detailed report before any action is taken,” he said.