INTERVIEW Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed said he will ‘support' legislation that makes it a crime for civil servants to waste public funds through negligence.

However, such legislation would not be necessary if the chief secretary to the government or cabinet ministers take action against errant civil servants, he said.

Laws, the Umno MP for Pulai pointed out however, are useless without enforcement.

"This is responsibility, and when holding that responsibility, it should be executed sincerely,” Nur Jazlan said in an interview on Jan 23.

"As the auditor-general (Ambrin Buang, left ) put it, this work is to ‘make habit of what is right, and make right what is habit'. It is that simple: One sentence to give awareness to civil servants."

He was commenting on a Jan 16 suggestion by Han Chee Rull, senior deputy director of investigations at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, to press negligence charges against civil servants who waste public funds, such as those highlighted in the Auditor-General's Reports.

Nur Jazlan also defended the PAC’s record in the wake of former Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik's acquittal over the Port Klang Free Zone scandal, and similar charges against his successor Chan Kong Choy that were dropped.

He said the PAC has done its job of highlighting this issue, as well as the National Feedlot Centre scandal. It has questioned those connected to the allegations and made its reports public.

However, such cases are beyond the control of the PAC once the matters go to court.

"...whether those deemed guilty by the rakyat are punished is beyond us. Even then, the people have got it wrong: in Malaysia, the law is that a person is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

"Sometimes the people need to think about such things. Don't think that civil servants and ministers have committed a crime even before they are taken to court.”

‘Civil servants fear being called up’

Among the PAC’s other achievements, he said, was to push the government to form a special committee , headed by chief secretary to the government, to scrutinise the Auditor-General's Report 2012 and ensure that errant civil servants are punished.

Nur Jazlan said civil servants fear being called to testify before the PAC and they take this matter seriously. Even those who have retired, including Ling (right) and Chan, have not been spared.

"The implications of being called up after retirement are more serious because they are considered to have retired with a good record. If the PAC calls them to account for issues that took place in the course of their duties, it will give a negative perception of them.

"This is what the PAC does. We call, we question. Cooperation must be given by the witnesses called. The reports we produce are useful to the people because they give an objective view."

The PAC, he said, makes decisions on the basis of consensus of its members, who include opposition parliamentarians.

Asked why no serving minister has yet been called in for questioning, Nur Jazlan said the problems usually arise when civil servants implement policies. However, ministers can be called up as well, if the policy itself is problematic.

Nevertheless, he said, Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek (left) had volunteered to account for the Youth and Sports Ministry's spending on K-Pop performers during his tenure, while Education Minister II Idris Jusoh has agreed to testify on some ‘implementation issues' by his ministry, even though he is only involved in policy making.

Nur Jazlan was especially impressed by Ahmad Shabery's willingness to ask for his testimony to be broadcast ‘live’ .

Although the PAC was unable to oblige him, Nur Jazlan said he hopes that such a move can be implemented in the future.

He said ‘live’ broadcasts would allow the people to watch the testimony and examination of the witness as it takes place, instead of waiting for months for a report that could be biased.

Currently, the Standing Orders on the PAC bar its proceedings from being made public until its final report is tabled in Parliament.

"Don't forget that the PAC comprises members of the opposition and government backbenchers. Opposition members have the freedom to ask any question and if the minister handles the question well and it is acceptable to the PAC, the people will also see it.

"Who talks about the K-Pop issue anymore? That's because when Ahmad Shabery came out (of the PAC inquiry room) and gave an explanation (to the press), the issue died by itself.

"But if the PAC's proceedings are done ‘live', that will be even better. I don't know if my colleagues in the cabinet and my party can accept a live PAC hearing, but for me it is a good thing.”

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This interview was jointly conducted by Radzi Razak and Koh Jun Lin.