KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — The Auditor-General’s Report 3/2025 on the 2024 Federal Government Financial Statements has recommended that the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) review staffing at its Defence Advisers’ Offices (DAOs) to optimise human resources based on each host nation’s capacity.
According to the report, the DAOs in Canberra, Australia; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Singapore were each approved for a staff warrant of five personnel, while the office in Wellington, New Zealand, was approved for four.
However, several positions across these four DAOs were left unfilled, with vacancies recorded between October 2011 and May 13, 2023.
“The feedback received from the DAOs clarified that filling positions in offices with a higher workload is prioritised, such as those with frequent meetings and diplomatic visits.
“Positions are filled provided the organisation has sufficient allocation, taking into account the staffing across all 27 DAO postings to optimise operational and administrative expenditure,” read the report, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Furthermore, the Audit recommended that the DAOs in Canberra and Singapore ensure their vehicle logbooks are fully maintained and updated, with all usage recorded promptly, and that fuel consumption rates are calculated accurately.
The Audit also instructed all DAOs to place greater emphasis on complying with financial regulations, particularly regarding the management of assets and stores.
Overall, based on its audit scope and samples, the financial management at the four DAOs demonstrated a compliance rate of over 90 percent against the audited criteria. — Bernama
