KUALA LUMPUR – Three senior officials from the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) have been suspended following audits by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Auditor General, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The suspensions stemmed from concerns regarding the management of unused levies, the acquisition of Menara Ikhlas, and equity investment oversight. These actions follow findings related to a four-year delay in the RM14 million New System Core project, which failed User Acceptance Tests on three separate occasions.
Datuk Mohamed Shamir Abdul Aziz, the chief executive of HRD Corp, issued a statement affirming that the suspensions align with the directive of Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan for increased integrity, transparency, and accountability.
“This is to ensure that HRD Corp’s management delivers effectively for both employers and the workforce,” he said.
An internal investigation will be carried out, involving a thorough review of documents, financial records, approvals, meeting minutes, and audit trails. Statements will also be gathered from the officers involved.
Additionally, HRD Corp highlighted that under Shamir’s leadership, the agency had settled 18 per cent of its outstanding structured investment portfolios within his first week as CEO, generating RM151.8 million.
“This demonstrates that swift recovery efforts are in motion to safeguard investments,” HRD Corp stated.
To further strengthen governance, the corporation has introduced new guidelines: approved training programmes must now take place between 21 days and three months following approval. This allows employers and training providers sufficient time to plan, book venues, and manage logistics.
HRD Corp acknowledged past issues where training sessions occurred before approvals were obtained, and grant applications were submitted only after sessions concluded. This was attributed to inadequate monitoring systems, which led to a decline in governance standards.
The agency now plans to deploy officers in the field to supervise training sessions, gradually improving its monitoring and enforcement framework. – February 6, 2026