Opposition chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan today questioned the legality of Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi’s appointment as auditor-general, claiming that her status as a serving civil servant breaches the Federal Constitution and could create a conflict of interest.
Speaking during the debate on the tabling of the 2025 Auditor-General’s Report Series 2 in the Dewan Rakyat, Takiyuddin, a former law minister, said the appointment should be independent of the public service.
The Kota Bharu MP said the auditor-general’s appointment is made on a contract basis, which provides for terms and conditions of service as stated under Article 105(4) of the Federal Constitution.
Article 105(4) of the Federal Constitution states that Parliament shall by law provide for the remuneration of the auditor-general, and the remuneration so provided shall be charged on the consolidated fund.
“I believe this means that the post of auditor-general cannot be held by someone still in the public service,” said Takiyuddin.
“To safeguard his or her independence and impartiality, the (auditor-general’s) emolument and pension are guaranteed and not subject to reduction by Parliament.
“The auditor-general cannot be dismissed except in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court.”
Article 105(1) of the Federal Constitution states that the auditor-general shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the prime minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers.
Takiyuddin said the auditor-general holds office under the Federal Constitution and enjoys “complete independence” from the executive.
He said this was crucial as the auditor-general’s function is to scrutinise the accounting of government funds, including those of local authorities and public bodies, and to render a report to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the findings.
Takiyuddin warned that if Wan Suraya’s appointment was not constitutionally valid, the work carried out under her leadership, including the audit report tabled in Parliament and certified by Wan Suraya, might likewise be invalid.
The 2025 Auditor-General’s Report Series 2, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, flagged serious issues on how more than RM460 million of government funds was spent on land deals, university tenders, and defence contracts between 2020 and 2024. It named Felcra Bhd, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and the army.
A total of five audits involving seven ministries were conducted, covering programmes, activities, and projects worth RM48.873 billion. A total of 22 audit recommendations were submitted to the ministries, departments, and companies involved.
Wan Suraya also said that follow-up audits by the national audit department from 2024 to June 2025 helped the government recover RM157.73 million, including through penalty collections, taxes, and fines.
