PenjanaKerjaya probe: HR Ministry officials called in to help, not arrested, says MACC

PUTRAJAYA: Several Human Resources Ministry officials have been called to help in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)'s probe into allegations that fake claims were submitted and funds were misappropriated under the PenjanaKerjaya programme.

Sources with knowledge of the case said these officials were called over the past week since the MACC and the Social Security Organisation (Socso) kicked off Ops Hire.

“The officers were called to help shed light on several policies and procedural matters as investigators needed clarification on this,” a source told The Star.

“This is a normal process. If an explanation is needed, then investigators will call the necessary people and have their statement recorded,” the source added.

The source refuted reports that 40 personnel members from the Ministry and Socso had been pulled out of their offices in a raid.

“The MACC has been calling officials for the past week but investigators certainly did not call up to 40 personnel members,” said the same source.

The MACC and Socso have been pursuing the case since last week and have arrested 40 individuals - not from the ministry - over alleged fake claims and misappropriation of PenjanaKerjaya funds, said to be amounting to RM100mil.

PenjanaKerjaya was introduced in 2020 under the National Economic Recovery Plan, offering financial incentives of between RM600 and RM1,000 to employers for each employee apprentice employed for up to six months.

Socso had since suspended payments totalling RM423mil for the programme.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan had said that employers and training providers who had made false claims should refund the money to avoid severe action being taken against them.

He also said that there was a possibility that several individuals from MIC are involved in the PenjanaKerjaya scandal.