The Malaysian Muslim Consumer Association has urged Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) to emulate the procedures employed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in carrying out its investigations.

Its secretary-general Dr Ma'amor Osman said Selcat and the Selangor government should ensure there would be no repeat of what he described as "mental torture" under which individuals were subjected to during questioning.

"Selcat can take stock of the proceedings employed by the PAC as we have not heard yet of anyone complaining of being subjected to embarrassment when giving statement to the PAC.

"The people are bound to gauge the efficiency, effectiveness and magnanimity of members of such committees; whether the panel members are a reflection of a fair, caring and responsible government," he said in a statement.

Klang district officer Bakhtiar Hussin recently accused Selcat of playing politics and subjecting him to embarrassment in the investigations into the alleged misuse of state funds prior to the 12th general election last year.

‘Public servants only following orders’

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Government Retirees Association president Wan Mahmood Pawanteh urged Selcat not to drag public officers into politics.

He said that public officers were only following orders from the state government when utilising allocations.

"Public officers have been discharging their duties in a responsible manner by serving the state government of the day," he said.

Selcat members should therefore show respect to civil servants and not degrade their dignity to the point of affecting their service to the people, he said.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom said that close relations between government leaders and public officers are vital in preventing administrative misdeeds, including abuse of power.

According to him, such a relation was important as civil servants were the government's representatives in dealing with the people.

"We should continue to nurture these relations as they can help prevent abuse," he said when asked to comment on the controversy surrounding the Selcat.

He said that the BN viewed financial management seriously in ensuring that allocations were utilised in an appropriate manner.

- Bernama