Don’t abolish HRDF, says Kula

KUALA LUMPUR: Trouble laden as it is, the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) should not be abolished, says Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran.

He said that while scandals do happen, finding out how to overcome them was of utmost importance.

“You don’t kill an institution. Clos­ing it down is the easiest answer, but how many people will be unemployed and how many will suffer?

“There was corruption in the previous government. Should we close down the government?

“This is a matter that has been tested over time and I think you must give it breathing space,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing of a new collective agreement between the Malayan Commercial Banks Association and the National Union of Bank Employees here yesterday.

Kulasegaran said wrongdoers would be brought to book and called for the public to allow investigations to take place.

The Malaysian Employers Federa­tion had called for the abolition of HRDF following scandals and a recent expose by The Star of the purchase of a RM154mil property in Bangsar South which was done without the approval of the board of directors and investment panel.

Approval was given for another property in the same area but HRDF went on to make payments for the Bangsar South property with some RM40mil allegedly paid before the tax invoice date.

The investment panel was only informed of the switch of property purchased five months after the first tranche of RM15.4mil was paid.

On the scandal, Kulasegaran said HRDF would deal with it on its own as the authorities were already on the case and that HRDF had recently appointed Datuk Noor Farida Mohd Ariffin a new chairman.