Following a visit from the SAGA Compliance Committee and a team from the Accountant General’s Department, the National Audit Department, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Higher Education, UUM successfully achieved the Standard Accounting System for Government Agencies (SAGA) certification for its accounting and financial system.
This audit also included teams from the Bursary, UUMIT and e-Management, Department of Research, Development, and Innovation Affairs (JHEPPI), UUM.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan, said that the SAGA certification is crucial for UUM as it guarantees the reliability of UUM’s financial system, namely FIMS, in managing financial operations and adhering to the compliance standards established for all public agencies.
According to him, UUM has received three secretariat visits on 13 July 2023, 11 October 2023, and 10 July. During these trips, UUM provided observation reports regarding the findings and took appropriate action.
He said that the SAGA secretariat of the Consultancy Services Division, Accountant General’s Department, has proposed that the SAGA Compliance Committee conduct an assessment visit following their third visit.
“At UUM, the FIMS system has been in full operation since 1 January 2022. The accounts for 2022 were prepared using the FIMS system and received an unblemished audit certificate on 18 August 2023. Meanwhile, the 2023 accounts are currently being audited, with the exit conference session with the country’s Audit Department scheduled for September 18.
“I fervently hope that the SAGA Compliance Committee’s assessment visit session will enable UUM to meet all of the established criteria and successfully obtain SAGA certification, as the journey towards achieving this certification is quite challenging.” During this nearly seven-year effort, we have overcome various challenges,” he said at the Senate Room on Thursday.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed hope that UUM will be able to effectively obtain SAGA certification by meeting all of the set criteria during the SAGA Compliance Committee assessment visit session.
The evaluation panel, led by the panel chairperson, Mdm. Anishah Abd Wahid, who is the Deputy Director of the Consulting Services Division at Accountant General Malaysia (JANM), has officially certified that the UUM Financial System, known as FIMS, has fulfilled all 20 functional and technical criteria and has successfully achieved SAGA certification.
Also present at the event were Deputy Secretary of the Division, Strategic and Corporate Financial Control Division, Ministry of Finance, Mdm. Murni Rahayu Ahmad Anuar, and representative from the Consulting & Management Accounting Section of MoHE, Mdm. Sharifah Ismail.
