PUTRAJAYA: None of those arrested for the PenjanaKerjaya’s false claims is from the Human Resources Ministry, but investigators did take statements from several of ministry staff members.
It is learnt that officials from the ministry had been summoned to assist in investigations since the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Social Security Organisation (Socso) launched a joint operation, codenamed Ops Hire, to investigate the case.
ALSO READ: PenjanaKerjaya probe: HR Ministry officials called in to help, not arrested, says MACC
“The officers were called to help shed light on several policies and procedural matters as investigators needed clarification on them.
“This is a normal process. If explanation is needed, then investigators will call the necessary people and have their statements recorded,” a source told The Star.
ALSO READ: Over RM400mil in PenjanaKerjaya payments frozen over false claims probe, says Socso
The source confirmed that arrests made pertaining to the case did not involve ministry staff members, refuting reports that 40 people from the ministry and Socso had been pulled out of their offices in a raid.
“MACC has been calling officials for the past week but certainly not 40 people,” said the source.
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When asked to comment, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said he had no information on the matter.
The Human Resources Minister was visibly irritated when met by the media, saying that questions should be forwarded to the MACC instead.
“As of now, I don’t have any information on who has been caught. So please ask MACC because I do not have the answer,” he added.
In the latest arrest, a chief executive officer and a company director were picked up in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The company director, 41, was remanded for four days until July 21, while the other suspect, a 40-year-old woman, was released after investigators recorded her statement.
According to sources, the suspects are believed to have submitted invoices with false details to Socso for the hiring incentive training programme.
“This was done so that the company can receive payment allocated under the National Economic Recovery Plan amounting to RM700,000 when the programme was not fully implemented,” said a source on July 18.
MACC senior director of investigation Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hashim confirmed the arrests.
To date, 42 individuals have been arrested in connection with the probe.
Last week, the MACC and Socso launched the operation to investigate claims that certain employers and training providers had submitted false claims for the PenjanaKerjaya programme.
The programme, introduced in 2020 under the National Economic Recovery Plan, offers financial incentives of between RM600 and RM1,000 to employers for each employee or apprentice employed for up to six months.
Socso has suspended payments totalling RM423mil for the programme following the probe.
