KUALA LUMPUR: The suspension of HRD Corp members is not “a clean-up”, says Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
The Human Resources Minister said ongoing investigations into misconduct by those suspended must be completed before HRD Corp can implement improvements, adding the restructuring is expected to be completed mid-March.
“Regarding this suspension issue, whether there was misconduct or not, we will let the investigation be completed first.
“We are currently making improvements. If some people say this is a ‘clean-up’, that is not true.”
He also added that only qualified people will fill positions during restructuring exercise, even if they are political party members.
“We are upgrading and making sure we are putting all the correct tools in place so that no problems will arise in the future,” he told the media after launching the MyFutureJobs Career Exploration Centre.
The minister was asked to comment on the recent suspension of six HRD Corp members as part of its move to strengthen its institutional integrity.
“Previously, many issues were raised and investigated. In the Auditor-General’s Report, there were still many disputes.
“To correct all of this, we must make some changes. With the changes that will take place, I am confident there will be improvements in governance as well as in the operations of programmes and initiatives under HRD Corp,” he said.
Ramanan said while professionals had been appointed to the body, hirings from political parties would be considered as long as the person is qualified.
“So far, we have appointed a former CEO of a government-linked company commission and a former deputy secretary-general of the Treasury. That is the kind of people we are putting in place.
“If someone from any party is qualified and can carry out their duties properly according to governance standards and the requirements under HRD Corp regulations, then there is no problem. But at the moment, there are none,” he said.
On Feb 6, HRD Corp announced the suspension of three top management members based on findings in reports from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Auditor-General and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
On Feb 21, another three management members were suspended.
Its chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Shamir Abdul Aziz said the suspensions were a procedural measure to preserve the independence of an ongoing internal review.
