Company owner, employee fined for submitting false claim for Penjana incentives

KUALA TERENGGANU: A company owner and one of his employees were fined RM50,000 and RM30,000, respectively, by the Sessions Court here for submitting false documents to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to claim incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 (Penjana) programme amounting to RM5,300 three years ago.

Judge Mohd Azhar Othman handed down the sentence on Arrie Syahiman Mohd Zain, 34, and his employee Nurul Azwani Mohd Razali, 38, on Sunday (Feb 18) after they pleaded guilty to an alternative charge brought against them.

They paid the fine.

Mohd Azhar also ordered the forfeiture of RM30,949.94 from Nur Ilahi Skills Resources' CIMB Islamic bank account, as well as two computer units purchased using the Penjana incentive money under Section 40 (1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act (MACC) 2009.

According to the alternative charge, the two accused fraudulently used forged documents to claim incentives amounting to RM5,300 at the Terengganu Social Security Organisation (Socso) on July 5, 2021.

The charge was framed under Section 471 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 465 of the same code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, which provides for a jail term of up to two years or a fine or both upon conviction.

On Oct 31 last year, the duo pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to submitting the Employee Verification Form under the Penjana programme containing false details to a Socso official to claim an incentive of RM126,100 in 2021.

MACC deputy public prosecutor Mariah Omar and prosecuting officer Nur Raihan Mohd Yusof appeared for the prosecution, while lawyers Mohd Fauzi Razali and Hayat Muhamad represented Arrie Syahiman and Nurul Azwani, respectively. – Bernama