PUTRAJAYA: Some workers received only a one-off token payment, yet their names were used to claim the full employment incentive under the Social Security Organisation's (PERKESO) Daya Kerjaya 2.0 programme, according to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said this was among the modus operandi uncovered in investigations into the alleged abuse of the programme.
He said investigations also found that personal data had been used without the individuals' knowledge to facilitate incentive claims.
“A one-off token payment was given to the workers, while full claims were submitted. In other words, the workers only received a token payment and not the full amount that was claimed,” he told a press conference on Ops Daya at the MACC headquarters here on Thursday (June 18).
Abd Halim said investigators also found that information belonging to disabled people had been misused for payments to other parties.
He added that accountants of sole proprietorships had submitted applications on behalf of company owners who received commissions despite having no knowledge of the workers registered under the programme.
“The use of individuals' information without consent, as well as the misuse of data belonging to the programme's target groups, are among the matters being examined in the investigation,” he said.
Abd Halim said investigations had also identified several operational aspects that could be strengthened to reduce the risk of abuse of the programme in the future.
He said these were among the areas being examined following findings uncovered during the course of the investigation.
The Daya Kerjaya 2.0 programme provides a government hiring incentive of RM1,500 a month for up to six months and was introduced to help vulnerable groups secure employment.
The target groups include 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.
