THE National Council of Professors (MPN) has denied claims that it had received government funding since its dissolution in 2018.

It said since 2018 it was operating with donations and self-financing as an independent entity until January 2022, when funding from the federal government resumed.

MPN posted on Facebook that throughout its period as an independent entity, the council took certain initiatives to determine its survival in addition to making amendments to its constitution in line with its position and status.

According to MPN, the government had dissolved the council on May, 23 2018 before it started receiving funding from the government again in 2022.

The New Straits Times today reported that the Auditor-General (AG) had found that RM374,000 from MPN funds were misused to benefit two companies in which two trustees have a stake.

According to the report (2019 to 2023), the AG found that two board of trustees’ members failed to declare share ownership in two companies in line with the Companies Act.

It was also found that the payment of fixed allowances for the MPN chairman and deputy chairman totalling RM207,000 was not approved by the relevant minister.

The report also said the MPN had never been audited since it was incorporated in 2014.

It added that MPN received a total of RM34.84mil in management grants from the government for 2015 to 2018 as well as 2022 and 2023.

MPN said that from the date of dissolution, they had no longer received government funding and operated with donations and self-financing in addition to operating as an independent entity until January 2022.

“MPN was later accepted by the government and received annual funds from January 2022,” they said in a statement. - July 4, 2024.