AG Report: Management of quarters by PMD satisfactory

KUALA LUMPUR: The 2014 Auditor-General's Report today revealed that between January and May 2015 the management of quarters by the Property Management Division of the PM's Office was satisfactory - in terms of selection of tenants as well as having achieved its objective of providing quarters for civil servants.
Besides that, occupancy agreements have been prepared and signed since 2007; deposits properly accounted for; work allocations rotated to registered contractors; maintenance/repairing works and supervisory meetings carried out/held regularly.
However, there were some weaknesses identified as follows:
» a total of 575 units of unoccupied quarters were not promptly allocated after completion of maintenance work;
» RM811,326 were not deducted from the salary of 39 tenants;
» RM3.58 million in rent arrears of 607 ineligible tenants have been identified as at April 2015. (The report said the arrears were due to the relevant Ministry/Department/Agency’s delay in informing the PMD on tenant’s transfer/resignation/ dismissal)
» incomplete repair works of quarters by the Public Works Department (PWD) and Putrajaya Holdings Sdn. Bhd. (PJH);
» responsibilities of the appointed maintenance contractors have yet to be fully fulfilled. This includes lift permit renewals, ensuring functionality of fire prevention systems, registration of generator sets, resolving complaints and providing sufficient workers as well as maintaining a clean environment; and
» RM88,787 worth in rent arrears were incurred by tenants from Non-Governmental Organisations
To overcome the weaknesses highlighted and ensure quarters are managed efficiently and effectively, the AG's Department recommended among others that PMD consider enhancing the enforcement activities and review the mechanism of quarters’ allocation to ensure that any vacant units will be allocated immediately after maintenance works.
It also said the PMO should create a mechanism with the tenant’s department in order to immediately identify any ineligible tenant (due to transfer, resignation or retirement), review and improve monitoring mechanism on housing allowances, regional housing allowance and cost of living allowance to ensure that correct salary deductions were made by the respective Heads of Department.