PETALING JAYA, April 13 — Throwing its weight behind the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a transparency group demanded yesterday the Finance Ministry abide by its own rules and set a good example to other government agencies.

Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Akhbar Satar said government bodies must adhere to the recommendations made by the committee to ensure abuses of taxpayers’ money would not be repeated.

“Whatever measures proposed (by PAC) must be followed through. If government servants and agencies do their work well, we wouldn’t be looking at abuses of public funds in the first place,” he said.

Akhbar said the ministry must follow instructions “as the Auditor-General’s Report raises the same concerns every other year, but no action has been taken”.

TI-M founder and former president Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim said the Treasury was sending “the wrong message” to other government agencies as it was the guardian of the nation’s financial system and wealth.

“The Treasury must respect its own rules,” he said.

“If this is not done, then we cannot expect other people and agencies to abide by their instructions either.”

Abdul Aziz said there was a presumption the ministry was not serious in taking action.

“If a government body lacks respect for accountability, then the nation’s transformation plan which is being implemented will not produce the desired outcome,” he said.

“This is not good for the country’s integrity and public confidence.”

He supported PAC’s criticism of the ministry and said action must be taken following its silence over the matter.

“PAC has every right to raise this issue and to demand explanation for action in accordance with the rules and procedures,” he said.