The powerful RM100mil men of the ministries
THE STAR
PETALING JAYA: Ministry secretaries-general are powerful people, with authority to dole out huge sums of money. A secretary-general can sign contracts worth up to RM100mil.
The limit can be raised even higher with permission from the Finance Ministry.
“The RM100mil limit was fixed for all ministries by the Finance Ministry,” said Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Chen Chaw Min.
“If any ministry wants to raise the limit, they have to get permission from the Finance Ministry,” he added.
According to the Government Contracts Act 1949 (Act 120), all government contracts may be signed by a Minister or by any public officer duly authorised in writing by the respective Minister.
In the 2014 Auditor-General’s Report, a former Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries (MOA) secretary-general had signed off on a RM268.222mil deal with a private firm in 2012 despite having no authority to do.
This went against a 2009 circular by the Government that an MOA secretary-general can only sign contracts of between RM20mil and RM100mil.
The MOA later admitted it made an error and that the matter was not done intentionally.
Former Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said all senior officers at a ministry must take the lead role to ensure there was no hanky-panky in procurement and awarding of contracts.
“The PAC and Auditor-General only looks at whether there is compliance with procedures. It’s up to the ministry to take action over misdeeds,” said Nur Jazlan, who is Deputy Home Minister.
PAC deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said there were already enough laws and procedures to govern the duties and responsibilities of chief secretaries.
Dr Tan said the PAC would usually recommend further investigations into cases of mismanagement and may also include the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission stepping in if elements of corruption or abuse of power were found.
A source said secretaries-general do not have the power to approve projects on their own. All projects must be put through a tender board which will comprise various committees, including financial and technical.
The officers involved in the tender process will also come from other ministries such as the Finance Ministry.
Approval from the Finance Ministry is also required before any project is done via direct negotiation or restricted tender.
The source said the ceiling amount that other senior ministry officials can sign will vary according to ministries. This is because some ministries have bigger budgets and, as such, the value of contracts are larger than others.
As an example, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, in a notice on Aug 26 last year, authorised the ministry’s secretary-general to sign on behalf of the Government contracts of works, supplies and services worth up to RM100mil.
The ministry deputy secretary-general was authorised to sign for contracts worth up to RM50mil.
SECSECRETARIES-GENERAL AND HEADS OF SERVICE
| 1. | CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNMENT YBhg. Tan Sri Dr. Ali bin Hamsa | More Info |
| 2. | DIRECTOR GENERAL OF PUBLIC SERVICES | More Info |
| 3. | ATTORNEY GENERAL YBhg. Tan Sri Dato' Sri Haji Mohamed Apandi bin Haji Ali | More Info |
| 4. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE YBhg. Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Irwan Serigar bin Abdullah | More Info |
| 5. | AUDITOR GENERAL OF MALAYSIA YBhg. Tan Sri Dato' Setia Haji Ambrin bin Buang | More Info |
| 6. | CHIEF OF DEFENCE FORCES YBhg. Jeneral Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor | More Info |
| 7. | DIRECTOR GENERAL IMPLEMENTATION COORDINATION UNIT Prime Minister’s Department, YBhg. Datuk Seri Ahmad Zaki Ansore bin Mohd Yusof | More Info |
| 8. | DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL (CABINET) Prime Minister's Department, YBhg. Tan Sri Mazidah Abdul Majid | More Info |
| 9. | INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE YBhg. IG Tan Sri Dato' Sri Khalid bin Abu Bakar | More Info |
| 10. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION YBhg. Dato' Sri Alias bin Haji Ahmad | More Info |
| 11. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF HIGH EDUCATION YBhg. Tan Sri Dr. Noorul Ainur binti Mohd Nur | More Info |
| 12. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH YBhg. Datuk Dr. Chen Chaw Min | More Info |
| 13. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT YBhg. Datuk Seri Azizan bin Ahmad | More Info |
| 14. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT YBhg. Datuk Seri Haji Saripuddin bin Kasim | More Info |
| 15. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION YBhg. Dato' Dr. Mohd Azhar bin Haji Yahaya | More Info |
| 16. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY YBhg. Datuk Jayasiri A/L Jayasena | More Info |
| 17. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE YBhg. Datuk Hj. Ab. Ghaffar Bin A. Tambi | More Info |
| 18. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF ENERGY, GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND WATER YBhg. Dato' Seri Ir. Dr. Zaini Bin Ujang | More Info |
| 19. | DIRECTOR GENERAL ECONOMIC PLANNING UNIT Prime Minister's Department, YBhg. Datuk Seri Dr. Rahamat Bivi binti Yusoff | More Info |
| 20. | DIRECTOR GENERAL OF PUBLIC WORKS YBhg. Dato' Sri Ir. Dr. Roslan Bin Md. Taha | More Info |
| 21. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF RURAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT YBhg. Dato' Mohd Arif bin Ab Rahman | More Info |
| 22. | ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OF MALAYSIA YBhg. Dato' Haji Che Pee bin Samsudin | More Info |
| 23. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF DEFENCE YBhg. Dato' Sri Abdul Rahim bin Mohd Radzi | More Info |
| 24. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF WOMEN, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT YBrs. Dr. Rose Lena binti Lazemi | More Info |
| 25. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRO-BASED INDUSTRIES YBhg. Datuk Seri Dr. Ismail bin Hj Bakar | More Info |
| 26. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF URBAN WELLBEING, HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT YBhg. Datuk Haji Mohammad bin Mentek | More Info |
| 27. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS YBhg. Dato' Sri Zohari bin Haji Akob | More Info |
| 28. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA YBhg. Dato' Sri Dr. Sharifah Zarah binti Syed Ahmad | More Info |
| 29. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES YBhg. Datuk Nagarajan a/l N Marie@ Marie Chett | More Info |
| 30. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES YBhg. Dato’ Sri Haji Adenan bin Ab Rahman | More Info |
| 31. | SENIOR DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT YBhg. Tan Sri Othman bin Haji Mahmood | More Info |
| 32. | DIRECTOR GENERAL OF HEALTH YBhg. Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham bin Abdullah | More Info |
| 33. | DIRECTOR GENERAL MALAYSIAN ADMINISTRATIVE MODERNIZATION AND MANAGEMENT PLANNING UNIT Prime Minister's Department, YBhg. Dato' Seri Zainal Rahim bin Seman | More Info |
| 34. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIR YBhg. Dato' Ramlan Bin Ibrahim | More Info |
| 35. | DIRECTOR GENERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION YBhg. Tan Sri Dr. Khair bin Mohamad Yusof | More Info |
| 36. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS YBhg. Dato' Sri Alwi bin Haji Ibrahim | More Info |
| 37. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF DOMESTIC TRADE, CO-OPERATIVES AND CONSUMERISM YBhg. Dato' Sri Jamil bin Haji Salleh | More Info |
| 38. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF FEDERAL TERRITORIES YBhg. Datuk Seri Adnan bin Haji Md Ikshan | More Info |
| 39. | DIRECTOR GENERAL PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP UNIT Prime Minister's Department, YBhg. Dato' Ahmad Husni bin Hussain | More Info |
| 40. | SECRETARY GENERAL MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND SPORTS YBhg. Dato' Lokman Hakim bin Ali | More Info |
| 41. | PRINCIPAL PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE YAB PRIME MINISTER YBhg. Datuk Iskandar bin Dato' Mohd Kaus | More Info |
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