Putrajaya has appointed former auditor-general Ambrin Buang will spearhead a committee tasked with investigating the previous government's administration, finances and acquisitions.

Speaking at a press conference in Putrajaya this afternoon, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Defence Ministry would be the first to be probed. 

Ambrin had served as auditor-general from 2006 until 2017 and had introduced the practice of tabling of government audit reports three times a year from the previous practice of only once a year.

He was also in charge of the 2015 federal audit on troubled state investment firm 1MDB. The report for the audit was later classified as an official secret.

Ambrin later said the report was only supposed to remain under wraps until the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) completed its own probe on 1MDB.

Meanwhile, on a separate matter, Mahathir said that the government committee looking into Indian affairs will also convene soon.