He said Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican had been instructed to monitor the task force, to ensure that approval for procurements of this nature is expedited.

Speaking at the finance ministry’s monthly assembly here today, Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the procurement system for the national security forces needed to be revamped to make it more transparent.

“Last week, I had discussions with friends at the defence ministry, home ministry and enforcement agencies … Certainly, these procurements require huge expenditure.

“The (current) procurement system is quite weak. Procurement is made nominally, but (the goods are) not obtained. There is a lot of leakage. It should be revamped and made more transparent. Let the professionals give their views,” he said.

Anwar added that the procurement approval for the country’s security forces must be expedited for them to carry out their duties properly.

Meanwhile, the prime minister expressed his appreciation to the staff of the finance ministry for their teamwork to help develop the country.