KUALA LUMPUR – Human Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp) today denied allegations made in an article on alleged discrepancies in the contract and procurement process of the Skills Passport initiative.
In a statement, it said the issues highlighted in the article by The Vibes, which included information based on a letter by a Finance Ministry (MoF) official, had been resolved at board level in HRD Corp.
“The matters addressed in the letter have been answered and resolved at HRD Corp’s board meetings.
“In addition, we trust that the contents of the letter are protected under the Official Secrets Act 1972 and were not meant for public consumption and media publication.
“At HRD Corp, we have always been committed to preserving the highest standards of ethics, transparency and integrity,” HRD Corp’s statement issued today said.
The April 10 letter cited in the article was prepared by MoF representative Datuk Rosli Yaakob, with copies sent to all HRD Corp board members.
The letter pertains to concerns raised by MoF regarding approval by the HRD Corp board to proceed with the Skills Passport programme.
However, the MoF letter said that based on previous HRD Corp’s board meeting minutes, approval for the initiative was never sought, and that what had been presented was merely an update.
The letter also noted the lack of a working paper presented to the board to request its decision, besides noting that the implementation and procurement process for the Skills Passport project was unorganised.
The programme’s procurement is said to be valued at between RM53 million to RM159.47 million a year.
A senior officer at HRD Corp – who also sits on its board – is said to be the one leading attempts to obtain approval for the Skills Passport initiative.
The issues surrounding the initiative have come to light after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s recent arrests of aides linked to Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar over graft allegations involving migrant worker recruitment.
Sivakumar’s statement was also taken.
Last week, a source told The Vibes that the termination of five officers linked to Sivakumar was done under orders from the ministry’s freshly appointed chief secretary Datuk Seri Zaini Ujang, who was given the mandate to clean up the ministry and its related agencies.
HRD Corp today said that it would take action to defend its reputation and protect its interests following The Vibes’ report. – The Vibes, May 7, 2023
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