Despite the annual accounting of gross errors in government fiscal activites as exposed by the national audit report, the government still failed to learn its lesson, said former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“Every year in the report are stated the things overlooked and (government) overspending, but they never learn,” Mahathir told reporters at a press conference after attending the PM Tea with Mahathir organised by Perodua in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Auditor-General’s annual report audits the government’s financial spending, looking at all agencies, ministries and departments at both state and federal levels.

Each year it became a much awaited document, year-in and year-out, chronicling questionable use of public funds, that some say border on criminal negligence and abuse.

However, as the former PM stated, almost no action was forthcoming against errant parties and the same mistakes kept being repeated.

The same problem was observed by Auditor-General Ambrin Buang himself, who pointed out the same problem of repetitive mistakes in government financial transactions.

At the same press conference, Mahathir also repeated his attack against PAS’ insistence to implement hudud for Muslims in Malaysia.

"They have a stand (on hudud), they say hudud is for Muslims only.

"So if a Malay is caught stealing with an accomplice who is Chinese or Indian, the Malay will have a hand chopped off, while the Chinese or Indian get two years’ jail. That is PAS’ idea of justice,” he sniped.

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