By P PREM KUMAR & ALIFAH ZAINUDDIN / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) could recall former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak to testify over the alleged missing Goods and Services Tax (GST) input tax credit of RM19.4 billion.

PAC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the bipartisan committee may recall the Pekan MP if they need further input on the matter.

According to Kiandee, Najib was earlier called to give his testimony on the missing funds where he spoke on the government’s cashflow, GST collection and refunds.

Speaking to reporters after the committee’s proceedings yesterday, Kiandee said Najib had given his cooperation and statement on the issue.

“At this point, we cannot say yet, but we will see whether there is a necessity to do so, and if need be, we will call him back. As far as today is concerned, we have managed to get the testimonials we wanted,” he said.

Kiandee said the PAC had so far recalled former Treasury secretary general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and Customs Department DG Datuk Seri Subromaniam Tholasy.

He said the committee is still working on the necessary legal requirements needed to make the PAC’s findings from the proceedings accessible to the public.

“We are currently fighting for the PAC’s findings to be made accessible to the public, but it will involve amendments to some of the rules of the meeting, including the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, so until then we cannot reveal what has transpired inside,” he said.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng is expected to give his input after the tabling of Budget 2019 on Nov 2.

“Initially, we set Oct 30 as the date for him, but this will be postponed due to the tabling of the budget. We will adjust the date and announce it later,” he said.

In August, Lim revealed that a staggering RM19.4 billion in GST input tax had gone missing from the balance sheet. The money was meant for refunds for the consumption tax from April 2015 to May 31, 2018.

Lim alleged that some RM18 billion of the RM19.4 billion input tax credit under the GST had been “robbed” by the previous administration.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin has since lodged a report with the police over Lim’s claims, while Mohd Irwan has filed a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.