by BERNAMA/ pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

THE Communications and Multimedia Ministry will be lodging a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on issues raised on the management of funds by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Its Minister Gobind Singh Deo said he viewed seriously the findings in the Auditor-General’s Report 2018 Series 1, which was released yesterday, concerning the matter.

According to him, after the Pakatan Harapan coalition came into power in May last year, the ministry had stopped the practice of appointing special officers for the minister and deputy minister using MCMC funds.

“All appointments of special officers currently follow approved government appointment warrants. As such, the problem (raised in the report) is not continuing.

“The MCMC has also stopped carrying out corporate social responsibility programmes for the minister and the allocation for the purpose has been transferred for operating expenditure of the MCMC,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Separately, the Immigration Department will be taking action based on the findings of the Auditor-General’s Report 2018 Series 1 released yesterday, on manipulations and fraud in the Malaysia Immigration System (MyIMMs).

Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he had a discussion with Immigration DG Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud on the matter yesterday.

“I am taking the matter seriously. Whatever (it is) involving the Immigration Department, I will study them further. We should look at what should be done to correct the matter so that it would not recur in the future.

“We have already started in terms of improvements. This system had been commented on by the audit department and we have taken measures to stop the leaks and abuse of power,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

The report concluded that manipulation and fraud occurred in MyIMMs for the approval of foreign worker quota which resulted in a loss of revenue to the country.

Based on the audit for 2016 to 2018, there were manipulations to the system to create a quota for 123 companies to bring in foreign workers and the approved quota was found to be false.

An audit report analysis also found 21,378 foreign workers from the 32,424 quota created improperly obtained temporary employment visit passes.