KUALA LUMPUR: The government should explore unconventional solutions, such as a whistleblower incentive plan, to tackle the irregularities highlighted in the Auditor General's Report 2/2024, said National Integrity Institute member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye today.
"Year in, year out the AG highlights cases of malfeasance by officials in ministries, departments, agencies and government-linked companies, but no action seems to be taken to prevent these occurrences. These result in staggering losses of taxpayers' money.
"In the latest report, the AG made 64 recommendations for implementation by the errant parties, but it remains to be seen how many of them will be implemented.
"Has there been an audit of the previous year's recommendations to determine how many have been enforced?"
He questioned whether the yearly losses were due to poor governance, planning, negligence, oversight, corruption or ineptitude.
With RM1 billion, he said, the government could have built 10,000 low-cost houses for the B40 group or upgraded hospital facilities.
He suggested exploring unconventional solutions to address these issues.
"We could introduce a whistleblower incentive programme, coupled with financial incentives for reporting misconduct.
"This could encourage insiders to provide information on malfeasance.
"We could implement data analytics tools to detect fraud early on."
He said the government could rotate leadership positions in agencies.
"We could establish an independent oversight commission to oversee government operations and provide recommendations for improvement.
"Instead of relying on the AG's annual report, could we not have half-yearly or even quarterly reports? This will ensure swift remedial action."
He said these unconventional approaches, alongside traditional measures — such as stricter enforcement mechanisms, reward and punishment, and enhanced training on ethics and governance — could stop wrongdoing and promote responsibility in government.
On July 4, the AG released a report tabled at the Dewan Rakyat highlighting issues in ministries, departments, agencies and government-linked companies at the federal level.