PAC: Ministry’s 1Azam programme beset by problems

KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s 1Azam programme has been beset by poor planning, bad coordination, leakages, delays and mismatches of allocations, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has discovered.

PAC chairman Datuk Seri Hasan Arifin yesterday said equipment supplied to its participants did not meet requirements, and there were delays in the distribution of assistance.

“The programme lacked detailed research before the approval of assistance, especially for clustered projects.

“The implementation of clustered projects also failed to meet the government’s financial procedures and guidelines,” he said yesterday.

The 1Azam initiative was aimed at helping poverty-stricken citizens to secure jobs and improve their income.

Hasan, however, said the ministry had taken action to address the issues raised in the Auditor-General’s Report.

PAC reported the matter after a proceeding uncovered a list of problems.

“1Azam participants were not selected through the e-Kasih system — a database of impoverished families, and some were either not benefiting from the supplied equipment or could not be found.

“The selection of equipment suppliers did not follow standard operating procedures (SOPs), while clustered projects were not generating income, such as those in Kedah and Kelantan.”

Hasan said the committee had urged the government to carry on with the programme to help lowincome earners, but certain requirements must be met.

“The ministry must ensure the participants had viable skills and experience, and that the location of their activities were suitable.

“PAC views the weaknesses in the programme’s implementation seriously as they had caused ‘leakages’.

“It is understood that the programme had come under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s scrutiny but PAC recommends that it be re-examined by the Public Service Department.”