Auditor General Wan Suraya elected ASOSAI secretary-general

KUALA LUMPUR: Auditor General Datuk Seri Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi has been unanimously elected secretary-general of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) for the 2027-2030 term.

She was elected at the organisation's governing board meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday, according to the National Audit Department.

Malaysia will host the ASOSAI secretariat from 2027. It last held the position in 1982, 44 years ago.

"The election of Her Excellency Datuk Seri Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi as secretary general reflects the confidence of ASOSAI Governing Board members in her leadership to steer the organisation's strategic direction, particularly in the area of capacity development, research and the exchange of expertise in public sector auditing," the department said in a statement.

"The National Audit Department of Malaysia will assume this responsibility from the National Audit Office of the People's Republic of China."

It said the secretariat will coordinate ASOSAI programmes, support the Governing Board, facilitate communication among members, and oversee the organisation's administration and finances.

During the meeting, Wan Suraya presented a progress report on the ASOSAI Working Group on State-Owned Enterprises Audit (WGSOEA), which Malaysia established and has chaired since 2024.

With members from 34 ASOSAI member countries, WGSOEA is the organisation's second-largest working group.

The working group is developing the first ASOSAI Guidelines on State-Owned Enterprises Audit as a common reference to strengthen the auditing and governance of state-owned enterprises across the region.

The guidelines cover financial, compliance and performance audits of state-owned enterprises and are scheduled to be launched at the 17th ASOSAI Assembly in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.

The working group is developing the first ASOSAI Guidelines on State-Owned Enterprises Audit as a common reference to strengthen the auditing and governance of state-owned enterprises across the region.

The guidelines cover financial, compliance and performance audits of state-owned enterprises and are scheduled to be launched at the 17th ASOSAI Assembly in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.

During the meeting, ASOSAI also expressed its appreciation to Malaysia for its commitment to host the regional workshop, "Performance Audit on Public Works Projects", at the National Audit Academy in October 2026.

The two-week workshop will strengthen the capacity of ASOSAI member institutions to conduct performance audits of public works projects.

The working visit to Kazakhstan also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Audit Department of Malaysia and the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea.

The MoU focuses on the exchange of expertise, capacity development, and the use of technology and digital approaches in public sector auditing in both countries.

Wan Suraya also held bilateral meetings with her counterparts from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and Pakistan.

Malaysia also shared its experience through a country paper entitled "Audit of Sustainable Development Impact Assessment and Public Engagement" at the International Scientific and Practical Conference held on Sept 16, 2026, in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Audit Chamber of Kazakhstan.

The meeting, which was also attended by Malaysian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mohd Adli Abdullah, endorsed the admission of Timor-Leste's Supreme Audit Institution as ASOSAI's 49th member.