PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is looking into the involvement of 1,638 companies believed to be linked to employment incentive claims worth about RM45mil, following investigations into the alleged abuse of the Daya Kerjaya 2.0 programme.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said the figure emerged from intelligence gathering and ongoing investigations, although the current operation is focused on 143 companies identified as being involved in fraudulent claims amounting to RM9mil.
“Based on the intelligence and investigations that have been carried out and are still ongoing, we found that 1,638 companies may be linked to the matter, involving an estimated RM45mil."
"At present, we are focusing on the 143 companies linked to claims amounting to RM9mil,” he told a press conference on Ops Daya at the MACC headquarters here on Thursday (June 18).
He said Ops Daya, which was launched on June 9, is still ongoing and further enforcement action is not being ruled out.
As of June 17, the MACC had opened 63 investigation papers and arrested 97 individuals suspected of being involved in the fraudulent claims. Of the total, 77 individuals have been remanded to assist in investigations.
The commission has also recorded statements from 577 witnesses, seized movable assets worth RM74,198 and frozen 36 company accounts involving a total of RM463,076.92.
Commenting on the progress of the investigation, Abd Halim said no specific timeline had been set to complete the probe.
“There is no need for us to rush and we are not racing against time. Once investigations are completed, we will proceed with prosecutions,” he said.
The Daya Kerjaya 2.0 programme provides a government hiring incentive of RM1,500 per month for up to six months for each worker hired by private sector employers and government-linked companies (GLCs).
The programme targets vulnerable groups, including disabled people, parolees and senior citizens aged above 60.
On June 11, the MACC announced that it had uncovered a syndicate believed to have submitted fraudulent claims involving 143 companies and claims worth about RM9mil under the programme.
