Two punitive recommendations with regards to wrongdoings by civil servants raised in the second series of the Auditor-General's (AG) 2014 report had cost the government RM166,259.

Chief Secretary to the Government Ali Hamsa, however, said other recommendations raised by the Auditor-General's (AG) report did not involve financial losses.

"The offences by these civil servants involved non-compliance to financial regulations.

"Eighteen government officers have been identified and disciplinary action will be taken against them," he said in a Town Hall session today on the second series of the auditor-general's report released recently.

All in all, 635 recommendations against errant civil servants were raised by the Auditor-General's report of which 17 were punitive and 618 were corrective in nature.

Punitive recommendations involve misappropriations, abuse of power, misconduct and negligence in performing duties while corrective recommendations involve the improvement of systems and internal procedures.

Government praised

These recommendations raised by the Auditor-General's report involved two ministries, three federal statutory bodies and two state governments.

Auditor-General Ambrin Buang who was present praised the government for being increasingly serious about his department's annual reports.

"Follow-up action taken in terms of punitive measures show the government's sincerity.

"There is no other government which has such systems (to investigate audit reports)," he claimed.