MACC sets up taskforce to probe HRD Corp audit

PUTRAJAYA: A team of graft investigators is set to visit the Human Resources Ministry as well as the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) to collect documents related to an audit report on the corporation, according to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

A taskforce has been established to review the audit report on HRD Corp, which was submitted by the Human Resources Ministry.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed that several investigation papers have been opened.

"The MACC investigation team will be heading to the Human Resources Ministry and the HRD Corp office on Tuesday to obtain documents related to the investigation.

"Several individuals have also been identified and will be called to give statements to aid our investigation," he said on Saturday (July 6).

On Friday (July 5), the Human Resources Ministry’s secretary-general submitted the audit report to the MACC, following the Auditor-General and Public Accounts Committee's reports tabled in Parliament on Tuesday (July 2).

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim had directed that a report be made to the MACC.

Suspicious real estate deals and high-risk investments were among the issues identified by the PAC in its report on HRD Corp.

One such deal involved the purchase of Menara Ikhlas for RM202.5mil in February 2021, with a deposit of RM120mil paid upfront to a company called Crystal Clear Technology.

In a statement on Thursday (June 27), HRD Corp chairman Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid acknowledged the shortcomings found in the audit reports. He added that several improvements had been implemented, which increased levy collection over the years.

The statement, however, did not address findings that HRD Corp had invested levy collected from employers in several high-risk investments despite the training fund not being an investment institution.