PARLIAMENT: STATUS OF NATIONAL PROFESSORS COUNCIL BEING REVIEWED

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- A study is being conducted to evaluate and review the status of the National Professors Council (MPN) as a government-supervised entity, taking into account the objectives of its establishment.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said this followed the Auditor-General’s Report (LKAN) Series 2/2024 of the misuse of financial funding, as well as the corporate governance practices of the institution being at an unsatisfactory level.

“Subject to the study findings, LKAN's recommendations to amend the MPN’s articles of association and to appoint government representatives into the MPN Board of Trustees to directly monitor its operations and finances can be considered,” she said when winding up the debate on the LKAN for her ministry at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.

According to the report, MPN was found to have financed the operations of two private companies amounting to RM373,516, and paid its chairman and deputy chairman in allowances amounting to RM207,000 without ministerial approval.

Other payments made by MPN without the board’s approval were research fellow honorariums amounting to RM399,000; installation of elevators and office renovations totalling RM82,500; salary adjustments for top management amounting to RM62,500; and fixed allowance payments to the president/chief executive officer totalling RM66,000.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran, in his winding-up speech, also said that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is currently examining related documents and identifying witnesses to be called and recorded for statements regarding the issues raised against MPN.

The motion on the LKAN was later passed with a majority voice vote after being debated by 52 members of Parliament.

-- BERNAMA