KUCHING, Aug 10 — The DAP today lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over suspicious payments involving millions of ringgit from funds belonging to state-owned Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

"I urge MACC to begin immediate investigation into suspicious payments as stated in the recently published 2016 Auditor-General (AG) Report,” Bandar Kuching member of parliament Chong Chieng Jen’s special assistant Dr Kelvin Yii today told reporters after lodging the report at the state MACC headquarters here.

He said the anti-graft agency should centre its investigation on the payment of RM2.88 million to two contractors for alleged non-existent repainting job of 12 public housing units in Miri.

He said there was also an advance payment of RM16.06 million for Package 1 and Package 2 of the Jalan Utama upgrading project in Sibu without authorisation, resulting in the government incurring interest charges of RM1.77 million.

"That in total is RM 18.96 million of unaccounted funds, and due to bad governance, the government has to spend an extra RM 1.77 million of taxpayer’s money bringing it to a total of a potential RM20.73,” he added.

Yii said the audit also found that payments amounting to RM33.40 million were made by HDC to suppliers without being verified by an authorised officer while six payment vouchers amounting to RM20.77 million were also not supported by payment certificates.

He said these findings point clearly to serious management issues and poor financial oversight, adding that serious questions have to be asked whether there was any appropriation of funds or even leakages at the HDC.

Yii said someone has to be held responsible for those mismanagements in the spirit of transparency and good governance.

"We do hope that MACC will thoroughly look into the matter and not allow the information revealed by the AG Report be swept aside and do little or no action to address the problem or to hold the relevant persons accountable, " he said.

Yii was accompanied by Sarawak Pakatan Harapan Youth leaders when lodging the report.