KUALA LUMPUR (July 9): Several Members of Parliament (MPs) have called on the government to suspend the Human Resources Development Corp (HRD Corp) chief executive officer (CEO) Shahul Hamid Shaik Dawood amid an investigation into the government-linked company.

During the debate session over the Auditor-General’s Report 2024, Hassan Abdul Karim (Pakatan Harapan-Pasir Gudang) urged the Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim to act swiftly, to either suspend Shahul, or to terminate the whole management team.

He also urged the ministry to lodge a report with the police over the AG and the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) revelations, as he alleged there was also an element of criminal breach of trust involved.

"It is not enough to only lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission [MACC]. Bring this also to the police, so that an investigation can be initiated and action can be taken accordingly," Hassan said.

HRD Corp, an agency under the Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR), is responsible for collecting levies from key industries and disbursing training grants to registered employers through the Human Resources Development Fund.

It came under the spotlight last week after reports by the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) highlighted unusual transactions, including suspicious disbursements, dubious property deals, and risky investments. 

The AG's audit covered 2019 to 2023. Shahul has held the CEO post at HRD Corp since April 15, 2020. Prior to that, the post was held by Elanjelian Venugopal from 2018. 

The MACC is said to have visited the HRD Corp office on Tuesday morning and is believed to have seized documents linked to the findings in the AG and PAC's reports.

Sim Tze Tzin (Pakatan Harapan-Bayan Baru) also suggested that Shahul be placed on garden leave during the authority’s investigation.

"This is nothing personal, but these are very serious issues involving the top management of HRD Corp. The CEO can resume his work after being cleared by the enforcement authority," Sim said.

He stressed that the move is crucial to restore public trust in the government as well as among employers who are the levy contributors.

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