A SENIOR Human Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp) officer has come to the attention of the Finance Ministry (MOF) for attempting to proceed with a project without the approval of the board, The Vibes reports.

The officer in question, who sits on the company board, was involved in the procurement of contracts worth up to RM160 million a year, the report said, and that the MOF had dicovered discrepancies in the process.

In a letter sighted by the news portal, the MOF said the officer had attempted to mislead government officials by suggesting that the HRD Corp board had greenlighted a programme called “Skills Passport”.

The MOF’s letter was based on the October 6, 2022 minutes of a HRD Corp board meeting. The ministry said the minutes made reference to a report titled “Proposal to approve Skills Passport”, which was inaccurate because the board’s consent for the project was never sought.

“It is merely an update and not a presentation in the form of a working paper seeking a decision from the board,” the April 10 letter from MOF read.

Skills Passport is believed to be a platform for workers registered with HRD Corp to register their profile.

The MOF letter stated that a company named Neomindz Sdn Bhd was picked to undertake the programme.

The Vibes stated the HRD Corp officer was also under scrutiny in connection with the contract with Neomindz for allegedly underplaying the costs of the project.

MOF had discovered that Neomindz was not in a strong financial position with only RM300,000 in capital, RM36,355 in cash reserves, and RM144,400 in liabilities. The company lacks experience.

Fifty percent of its shares are owned by an Indian national.

MOF also found issues with the senior officer’s representation to the board that the project would not incur costs for HRD Corp when in reality the agency could be set back by about RM160 million a year.

HRD Corp is an agency under the Human Resources Ministry, which is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission probe over graft allegations involving migrant worker recruitment. – May 7, 2023.