Malaysia’s new Auditor General

Goh Wei Liang

The Opposition is going all out to discredit Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad, our new Auditor General, just because she isn’t from the auditing world and her husband is an UMNO man.

How many of you know Mr Willie Tan? He is Singapore’s Auditor General.

He graduated from Cambridge University in UK with a BA (Hon)(Engineering) and MA (Engineering) Degree. He also holds a MSc (Industrial Engineering) Degree from the National University of Singapore.

Yeah, and before he became Auditor General, he served in Singapore’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health, the Public Service Division in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of National Development.

Do you know this man Mr Harry Azhar Azis? He is Indonesia’s Auditor General, a former politician.

His background was purely economics. He has a degree in Industrial Management, got his Master of Arts in Public Economic Policy from Oregon (USA), and his PhD too was in Economics from Oklahoma.

Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad has been in civil service for 35 years. As Auditor General, she will be in a management role and she will be supported by a battalion of highly qualified auditors, guided by international standards.

I can tell you that she did not depend on her husband to climb the ranks and to achieve what she has today.

I can also tell you that there are some Secretary-General and Directors of Federal agencies who are not politically aligned with Barisan Nasional, some openly.

I won’t name them. I am sure Chief Secretary Tan Sri Ali Hamsa knows who they are but these people remained in their positions, some in fact got promoted. Why?

Politicians come and go, and power changes hands. Look at the Opposition states that were once under Barisan Nasional, and look at UMNO that saw leaders come and go.

But civil servants stay on because that is their bread and butter, they have a job to do and their loyalty is the King and country.

Never attempt to mock the civil service.

Yes, I guess only Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang are qualified people to do all sorts. Trust them to talk about our Government and economy going bankrupt. Eh, they have degree or work experience in economics and finance?

And I wonder if DAP Treasurer Fong Kui Lun and DAP Penang Treasurer Danny Law have experience in finance and accounting. Tak takut kena tipu ke?