More than RM5mil saved with the help of AI
PUTRAJAYA: A fraud scheme involving millions of ringgit in claims under the Daya Kerjaya 2.0 employment incentive programme was uncovered by the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) through data scrutiny and artificial intelligence, helping to prevent RM5.33mil from being syphoned off.
PERKESO chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said the agency’s Anti-Fraud, Ethics and Integrity Division began assessments and inspections at the end of 2024 before handing information to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in August last year.
“Through the swift action taken by PERKESO’s Anti-Fraud Division, about RM5.33mil was saved. If these measures had not been taken, losses could have reached about RM9mil,” he said during a joint press conference with the MACC yesterday.
Mohammed Azman said RM1.26mil had been recovered as of June 17 following enforcement action against the employers involved.
The companies, he said, appeared compliant as they were registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia and made PERKESO contributions as required.
However, investigations found a pattern where workers were terminated immediately after the six-month incentive period ended.
The Daya Kerjaya 2.0 programme provides a hiring incentive of RM1,500 a month for up to six months to encourage the employment of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities (OKU), parolees and senior citizens aged above 60.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said investigations uncovered several methods of misusing the programme.
Among them were claims submitted using workers who received only a one-off token payment despite full incentive claims being made, as well as the use of personal information without the person’s knowledge.
“Investigators also found cases involving the misuse of information belonging to persons with disabilities for payments to other parties.
“We also uncovered instances where accountants of sole proprietorships submitted applications on behalf of company owners and received commissions, despite the owners having no knowledge of the workers registered under the programme,” he said.
Abd Halim said intelligence gathering and ongoing investigations had identified 1,638 companies potentially linked to suspicious claims involving about RM45mil.
However, the current focus remains on 143 companies believed to be involved in fraudulent claims of about RM9mil.
As of June 17, the MACC had opened 63 investigation papers and arrested 97 people, with 77 of them 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 RM463,076.92.
Ops Daya, launched on June 9, is ongoing and further enforcement action has not been ruled out.
Abd Halim said investigations would continue and those found to have committed offences would be prosecuted.
