LPQB accounts to be audited for first time since 2007, Dewan Rakyat told

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister’s Department has taken action to have the accounts of the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) audited after it was last done 17 years ago, says M. Kulasegaran.

The Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) revealed that the government had taken note of LPQB’s lack of transparency.

The LPQB is responsible for handling the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) examination.

“I have requested for LPQB’s accounts to be audited as soon as possible for all stakeholders to know how much was spent and if management by the board was in accordance with the law.

“This is in line with what our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim believes that governance needs to be transparent, so that the people know how much of their money is being spent.

“This is not an agency to earn money, it is a social agency that should be helping our youth,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Nov 6).

Kulasegaran also revealed that the LPQB is not subjected to tax by the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) despite recording a substantial amount of revenue from fees charged to CLP candidates.

To this, he said he was awaiting a written response from the LPQB on the reason why they are not subjected to tax and would publicly present it as soon as possible for transparency.

Kulasegaran was responding to a follow-up question from Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) on why LPQB funds had not been audited since 2007 after the former revealed the issue in a special chambers session at Parliament on Oct 29.

Cha’s original question was on the revenue received by LPQB so far this year and the expenditures it had incurred so far.

To this, Kulasegaran said LPQB had earned RM4,264,200 in revenue as of Sept 31 this year with this coming from fees paid by candidates for the CLP examination.

This included CLP application processing fees (RM148,000); registration and examination fees for new candidates (RM3,012,000); repeat fees for those who failed individual subjects (RM71,000); and repeat fees for those who needed to repeat all subjects (RM1,033,200).

“We have also noticed that fees imposed on candidates are very expensive and have discussed with LPQB directors to reduce the fee as most of the candidates are from lower income groups,” he added.

Meanwhile, LPQB’s operational expenses so far this year was recorded at RM543,226.96 with most of it coming from the printing of books and study materials.

“This does not include rental and management costs for exam halls which are estimated to be over RM51,000 and have not yet been paid as well as costs related to holding an additional CLP exam slated for Nov 12.

“There are also employees’ salaries and payments to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) for their employees,” he said.