KUALA LUMPUR – Human Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp) has begun internal investigations into the leak of a letter to The Vibes regarding alleged discrepancies in the contract and procurement process of the Skills Passport initiative.
An internal memo to HRD Corp’s board of directors from chairman Datuk Rajasekharan Ramasamy said the report today, which contained information based on a leaked letter written by a Finance Ministry (MoF) official, had undermined the integrity and governance of the agency’s directors.
“We are currently investigating the person or persons misleading the media and thwart any attempt to create a negative perception about the directors, management team and all stakeholders... rest assured that appropriate action will be taken against those culprits whilst maintaining transparency,” read the memo, which was shared with The Vibes.
The memo also urged board directors not to go to the media, the public, or other institutions with statements or comments, calling for the utmost care and professionalism in handling the matter.
Additionally, the advice of the human resources minister and other key stakeholders have been sought, and directors would be kept updated, the memo also said.
Rajasekharan, when contacted by The Vibes, declined to comment when asked to respond to the report, and said a press statement had already been issued.
Following the report’s publication this morning, HRD Corp, in a statement, said matters concerning the Skills Passport initiative had been resolved at the board level.
“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,” HRD Corp said.
The April 10 letter cited in The Vibes’ report pertained to concerns raised by the Finance Ministry regarding the HRD Corp board’s approval of the Skills Passport programme.
However, the MoF letter said that based on previous HRD Corp 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 seek a decision, besides saying that the implementation and procurement process for the Skills Passport project was disorganised.
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. – The Vibes, May 7, 2023
