Special panel to access and make recommendations on financial statements

KUCHING: The Sarawak State Executive Council (MMKN) has mandated the Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit to establish a Cabinet Special Committee (CABCOM).

Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department of Sarawak (Integrity and Ombudsman) Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya said this committee is tasked with accessing, reviewing, and making recommendations on the annual financial statements and annual budget estimates for state statutory bodies and local authorities before they are presented to the MMKN.

Since its implementation on Jan 1, 2023, he said the committee has met 15 times and has accessed, reviewed, and made recommendations on 60 audited financial statement reports.

“In addition, 35 annual budget estimates for State Statutory Bodies (BBN) and Local Authorities (PBT) were reviewed before these Cabinet Papers were presented to the Sarawak State Executive Council (MMKN).

“This approach using the Cabinet Special Committee is the first of its kind in Malaysia,” he said.

He was officiating at the Incorporating Business Integrity, Governance and Corporate Liability in Enterprise Programme at the Waterfront Hotel here, today.

According to Juanda, CABCOM is an administrative effort by the GPS government to ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability, which in turn helps to improve financial governance.

“This includes increasing profits and reducing risks, as well as enhancing government revenue collection,” he added.

He emphasised that CABCOM will continue to be a catalyst for Sarawak’s economic sustainability in line with one of the Strategic Thrusts in the Post Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, which is Ease of Doing Business.

Juanda said the Sarawak government is very firm and committed to cultivating integrity, practising good governance, and combatting corruption.

“This is with the hope that all public servants, whether in the state, state statutory bodies, or state-owned companies, always carry out their responsibilities with trust, transparency, accountability, and full integrity,” he said.

Among the efforts implemented by the Sarawak government, he said, are the establishment of the Integrity and Ombudsman portfolio and the appointment of a responsible Minister, as well as the establishment of the Sarawak Integrity and Ombudsman Unit in 2018.

“Furthermore, 166 Certified Integrity Officers (CeIO) have been produced since 2019; 74 Organisational Anti-Corruption Plans (OACP) have been developed since 2020; 52 Corruption Risk Management (CRM) Plans have been developed since 2020; and senior SPRM officers have been placed in the state government.

“Additionally, 123 positions have been approved for the establishment of Integrity Units in various ministries, departments, statutory bodies, and local authorities, and CeIOs have been placed to lead these Integrity Units.

Leadership integrity modules for the community and enforcement integrity modules have also been developed.

“Other efforts include establishing guidelines for implementing integrity pacts in state government procurement to address leakage, abuse of power, and fraud, and establishing guidelines for managing the acceptance of gifts for the Sarawak state civil service,” he elaborated.