KUALA LUMPUR: PAC is watching - that’s the mantra of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which wants projects implemented under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) be free of the elements of misappropriation, abuse of power and wastage.

       PAC chairman, Wong Kah Woh said the committee decided to be involved proactively and to hold proceedings in ensuring that the development allocation of RM400bil for the next period of five years be spent prudently, transparently and responsibly.

       "The ministries and government agencies should know that the ‘PAC is watching’ all the time in the implementation of projects and spending of public funds," he said in a statement, here, on Tuesday (Dec 14).

       Wong said the proceedings related to implementation of the 12MP had started with the Finance Ministry and Economic Planning Unit (EPU) under the Prime Minister’s Department called for Tuesday’s proceeding.

       At the the two-and-half-hour proceeding that began at 10.30am, the Finance Ministry was represented by the Treasury's secretary-general, Datuk Asri Hamidon and the EPU by its director-general, Datuk Saiful Lebai Hussen.

       Also present was the Finance Ministry’s national budget director Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican.

       "At today’s proceeding, Asri and Saiful explained the government’s procedure of implementing each 12MP project, the financing provided and control imposed to ensure its successful implementation as promised," Wong said.

       He said the Finance Ministry and EPU also agreed to cooperate with the PAC in monitoring implementation of the 12MP projects, especially the mega ones.

       PAC would set a quarterly schedule for each year during the 12MP period for the monitoring proceeding, he added. - Bernama