So, Where Is The Auditor-General's Report?

Pic By Ordinary Malaysian

Malaysians are not a nation of readers. Far from it. The most we get to read are our school text books and that too only when we have to study for an upcoming examination.

Otherwise we are all a happy lot glued to the idiot box, or the computer screen playing virtual games or busy facebooking.

However, we do look forward to reading the Auditor-General's annual report on the performance of government departments and agencies.

I believe most people in the rest of the world do not even know, or have heard of or bothered too much about such mundane thing or non-thing as an auditor-general's report.

The reason for this anomaly, I believe, is that the Malaysian Auditor-General's department is still regarded as a relatively independent government body.

All the rest of public institutions have long been perceived by Malaysians as having been compromised and nobody takes their reports too seriously.

Another reason is that each year almost without fail, Malaysians get a chance to have a good laugh at how wisely our government departments and agencies spend our hard earned money in their audacity to outdo each other in their spending as if there is no tomorrow.

Of course it is a most painful and expensive laugh for each year the folly seems to get worse or at least remains unabated.

I remember there was a year when it was reported that a government department spent RM5,000.00+   for an ordinary RM50.00 carjack! And an exorbitant price (I have forgotten how much) for an ordinary RM10-20.00 screwdriver!

Every year it is one annals horribilis after another. And each year the Malaysian government promise to go after those who are responsible for the sinful mismanagement and wastage and each year nothing comes out of it.

This year although the year is coming to a close and the last Parliamentary session for the year is nigh, there is still no sign of the Auditor-General's Report being tabled and parliamentarians, especially the opposition parliamentarians, are very unhappy about it.

As well they might be for being denied the pleasure of a year end laugh after all the hard work they have put in for the year as Yang Berhormat members of the august Malaysian Parliament, although a most painful and expensive one it is.

So, where is the Auditor-General's Report?