KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has given the Health Ministry two months to respond to five recommendations given by the committee.
PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said this following the committee's recent report on the country's Covid-19 management under the ministry.
She said a letter will be sent to the ministry for the purpose.
"After we conduct feedback proceedings, the PAC will present a follow-up action report on this issue, containing the ministry's response to the PAC's recommendations, in Parliament.
"Basically, in every issue investigated by the PAC, two reports will be produced, the first being the PAC report where the committee will provide a summary and recommendation on the issue in question.
"After that, the PAC will present a second report which is the PAC report regarding the ministry's response to the recommendations."
Mas Ermieyati said both reports will go through five meetings before they can be produced and presented in Parliament.
"It shows how committed PAC is to the people, knowing what the government is doing with all the conclusions and recommendations made by PAC.
"The people can evaluate the actions taken by the government against the recommendations made by the PAC, whether the government is really serious in their actions."
On another matter, Mas Ermieyati said PAC hopes that the government will immediately declassify the Governance, Procurement and Finance Investigation Committee (JKSTUPKK) report regarding the land swap project under the Defence Ministry as soon as possible.
She said she had received a reply letter on Sept 22 from Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
"In the reply, I was informed that the feedback or comments from relevant agencies should be obtained before a decision is made as to whether the report has merit to be declassified or not.
"The answer given by the minister is very disappointing, considering that this is not the first time that the JKSTUPKK report has been declassified.
"Previously, the JKSTUPKK report regarding the procurement of six second generation patrol vessels (SGPV) littoral combat ships (LCS) of the navy, the Defence Ministry and JKSTUPKK report on the Automated Enforcement System (AES) were declassified to enable PAC to carry out proceedings.
"The minister's reply is seen as if the government is trying to delay the declassification of this report causing the PAC to be unable to conduct proceedings regarding this issue."