The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will call up the management of Sime Darby Bhd and Pos Malaysia Bhd to explain the losses incurred by the two government linked companies.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmi Khalid said the PAC decided to hold an inquiry on the matter as it involved public interest.
"We have decided to call them during the second week of Parliament. The actual date will be arranged by the secretariat," said Azmi after chairing the PAC meeting today. Parliament starts on Monday.
When pressed on the exact issues that will be focused on, Azmi said: "We don’t know yet. Since the matter is of public interest, PAC feels responsible to call them up because it’s a high profile case."
He said apart from Sime Darby and Pos Malaysia, the committee will also call officials from the Finance Ministry and the government investment holding arm Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
Sime Darby Bhd posted nearly RM1 billion loss from cost overruns from three projects in Qatar and the Bakun hydroelectric dam.
As a result of the losses, the group’s president and CEO Datuk Seri Ahmad Zubir Murshid was told to take a leave of absence six months before the expiry of his contract in November.
Various parties, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has called for a thorough probe on the conglomerate before action can be taken against those responsible for the losses.
Meanwhile Pos Malaysia net’s profit sank by 93% to RM1.6 million for the first quarter ended March 31 due to its investment in Transmile Group Bhd.
Pos Malaysia owns a 15% stake in Transmile and its market-losses from the investment amounted to RM19.4 million in the quarter.
On other matters, Azmi said the committee has "almost finalised" reports on the double tracking project and its probe on Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana).
The cost of the Rawang-Ipoh double tracking project ballooned by 32.9% or almost RM1.43 billion from its original cost.
Prasarana meanwhile was probed due to its decision to consign 1,139 of the 1,294 second-hand buses bought in 2003 to the scrapyard two years later.
The buses, bought from DRB-Hicom and Park May Bhd for RM93 million, were deemed unfit for operation.
Azmi said the committee is likely to table the two reports in the upcoming Parliamentary meeting on Monday.
