KUALA LUMPUR (July 23): The Dewan Rakyat witnessed a heated exchange on Wednesday as opposition lawmakers raised constitutional concerns regarding the appointment of Datuk Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi as auditor general, prompting questions over the validity of the recently tabled Auditor General’s Report 2025 Series 2.
Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) argued that Wan Suraya’s status as a civil servant breaches the Federal Constitution, suggesting her dual status could invalidate any official report issued under her purview.
He cited Article 105 (4) of the Federal Constitution, which stipulates that the post’s remuneration shall be charged on the Federal Consolidated Fund. This means the auditor general's salary is paid directly from the fund and does not require annual parliamentary approval or appropriation like other government expenditures.
“If the appointment is unlawful, then in my view, any task carried out by her — including the issuance of the Auditor General’s Report — could be deemed invalid,” said the former law minister during the debate on the report in the Dewan Rakyat.
Wan Suraya was appointed auditor general on June 12, 2023, succeeding Datuk Seri Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid. She previously served as the chief executive officer of the Malaysian Institute of Integrity and is still listed as an administrative and diplomatic officer or PTD attached to the institute.
Takiyuddin urged the government to clarify the constitutional validity of appointing a sitting civil servant to the post and whether it compromises the office’s independence.
Defending the appointment, government backbencher Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) stressed that the process followed constitutional requirements, including royal assent and advice from the prime minister. Under Article 105(1) of the Federal Constitution, the auditor general is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, acting on the advice of the prime minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers.
Sim also questioned the timing of the opposition’s objections, noting they were raised more than a year after Wan Suraya's appointment and following the release of four audit reports under her tenure. He pointed to a similar precedent: the appointment of the late Tan Sri Dr Hadenan Abdul Jalil, who was also a civil servant at the time of his appointment as auditor general.
Weighing in, Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran), former chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), noted that all past audito -generals were appointed post-retirement to preserve the institutional independence of the office. “Does the appointment [of Wan Suraya] meet the criteria of an auditor general who should be free from interference by any party, including the executive?” he asked.
Another opposition MP Datuk Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) highlighted the perceived erosion of the National Audit Department’s independence. He pointed to the department’s participation in public engagement initiatives like Santuni Madani, arguing that such involvement could lead to a "self-advocacy and self-review trap."
The heated debate comes as the Auditor General’s Report 2025 Series 2, tabled on Monday, flagged serious irregularities in government spending between 2020 and 2024.
Among the red flags it raised involved projects and programmes that cost over RM48 billion, including those related to land transactions by Felcra Bhd, procurement at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and defence contracts under the Malaysian Armed Forces.
For more Parliament stories, click here.