MACC submits six recommendations to improve non-Muslim houses of worship aid governance

The MACC has submitted six recommendations to the Housing and Local Government Ministry to improve the governance of financial management and the disbursement of maintenance assistance for non-Muslim houses of worship.

The Negeri Sembilan MACC represented the recommendations to the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (Housing and Community Wellbeing), Zulkeflee Sulaiman, on behalf of the ministry’s secretary-general, M Noor Azman Taib, during a presentation session held in Putrajaya today.

The MACC said one of the key recommendations is to enhance the ministry's guidelines by requiring every non-Muslim house of worship to be registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) or under a legally recognised organisation in accordance with relevant religious laws.

"The MACC also recommends that extensions of project implementation deadlines be granted only under exceptional circumstances, and that a specific procedure be introduced for the return of unutilised funds or where a non-Muslim house of worship is found to have breached the conditions of its application," the commission said in a statement today.

To strengthen monitoring, the fourth and fifth recommendations call for the introduction of a more detailed repair works form, as well as a physical site inspection report form to be completed by the technical team, accompanied by photographs from site visits.

The sixth recommendation proposes the inclusion of a declaration section under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009, requiring applicants to certify that all documents and information submitted by the non-Muslim houses of worship are accurate and comply with the applicable regulations.

The MACC said the initiative followed a governance investigation conducted by the Negeri Sembilan MACC after cases were uncovered involving houses of worship that failed to carry out maintenance projects despite receiving funding from the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Zulkeflee welcomed all six recommendations as part of efforts to strengthen integrity, governance and internal controls.

During the session, he agreed to adopt the recommendations and signed the Governance Improvement Report, witnessed by Negeri Sembilan MACC director Awgkok Ahmad Taufik Putra Awg Ismail.

- Bernama

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