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KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will begin investigating three previous controversial government projects that include land exchange agreements in the amount of RM4.8bil.
PAC President Wong Kah Woh (Photo) He said the bipartisan committee will begin its investigation on November 30 into the Defense Ministry’s land swap agreements between 1995 and 2018 involving 16 parcels of land totaling 1,183 hectares.
“Among the problems were the losses suffered by the government due to inconsistencies in setting the land valuation statements and political consideration given priority over defense interests,” he told reporters at a press conference downtown of Parliament’s media on Wednesday (November 18).
He said the ministry’s general secretary will be called to testify before the committee before deciding whether to call other witnesses.
Wong said the PAC will also look into whether it is appropriate for Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentara (LTAT) to take over the
Automated Application System (AES) project at a cost of RM555 thousand.
He said that the project was initially subcontracted by the Ministry of Transport between 2012 and 2015 to the private companies ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap Sdn Bhd, which had invested RM40 thousand in it.
He added that the PAC will also investigate the RM2.71bil 1BestariNet project to provide 10,000 schools across the country between 2011 and 2019 with 4G internet access for a virtual learning environment.
He said there were weaknesses and negligence in the management of the project, which resulted in its failure.
Wong said that three projects were referred to the PAC by the Government Management, Procurement and Finance Research Committee headed by former Auditor General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang.
“There is merit in the three issues for them to be brought before the PAC,” he added.
On a separate issue, Wong said the Parliamentary Select Committee will have to decide a replacement for MP Gerik Datuk Hasbullah Osman, who died of heart disease on Monday (November 16).
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