KUALA LUMPUR – Human Resources Minister Steven Sim has pledged not to shield any officials from the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) during the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) ongoing investigation into the recent audit findings of alleged misappropriation.
He said this in response to questions about the dismissal of HRD Corp chief executive Datuk Shahul Dawood, despite irregularities noted in the Auditor-General’s (A-G) Report.
He assured that stringent action would be taken against those implicated in the mismanagement of funds.
“Whether appointing or terminating someone, whether in a government-linked company or a private corporation, there is a procedure for termination.
“When a case is under MACC’s investigation, it’s not about terminating officials in the corporation; it involves a criminal offence.
“For the first time ever, the MACC took immediate action by initiating a probe within 24 hours of reports published by the auditor-general and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).”
“I will not protect anyone, and no one is safe if they are guilty. This will do justice to this issue,” he said.
Sim added that his ministry will allow the graft busters the space to pursue Auditor-General Datuk Wan Suraya Mohd Radzi’s findings for further investigation.
He also said that a special task force, chaired by the ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud, has been formed to address this issue.
The task force held its first meeting, with the second meeting expected to take place after the conclusion of the current parliamentary proceedings, which are scheduled to wrap up tomorrow, Sim said.
He also said that follow-up actions on the ongoing probe and the recommendations of the auditor-general will be considered in the meeting.
It was previously reported that government backbenchers have called for the suspension of HRD Corp’s leadership from their duties amid the ongoing MACC investigation.
PKR’s Bayan Baru lawmaker Sim Tze Tzin, who is also a member of PAC, urged for Shahul to be put on gardening leave to facilitate the graft busters’ investigation.
Earlier this month, the Auditor-General’s Report on HRD Corp highlighted irregularities, such as the alleged misuse of levies collected from employers meant for training purposes that were instead spent on investments and asset purchases.
The PAC also revealed a levy collection totaling RM3.77 billion from employers using HRD Corp in various investment activities. – July 17, 2024