THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested 47 company directors nationwide through Ops Hire 2.0 for falsifying Penjana Kerjaya claims. 

Sources said all those detained are aged between 30 and 70, who submitted claims they had conducted a recruitment and training programme for Social Security Organisation (Socso) but it was not implemented.

“Ops Hire 2.0 is an operation to curb the embezzlement and leakage of government funds as a result of false claims made by company directors in the programme. 

“Of the 47 people, 14 are women and the amount of claims involved is between RM450,000 and RM2 million,” he said. 

Ops Hire 2.0 is an extension of Ops Hire 1.0, which was implemented last year throughout the country in collaboration with Socso and MACC.

The source said all those arrested will be brought before magistrate’s courts nationwide today for a remand application.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, when contacted by The Malaysian Insight, confirmed the arrests and investigations are ongoing under section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 and section 471 of the penal code.

In the previous Ops Hire 1.0, a total of 74 people from 60 companies were arrested involving false claims worth RM88 million. Of that number, 52 people were charged in court.

The source said MACC is clamping down hard on corruption and leakage of government funds, seen as a serious issue.

“MACC has also identified hundreds of other companies that have falsified claims, and we will continue this operation to make arrests.

“I urge any company involved to come forward voluntarily to resubmit the claims to avoid getting charged in court,” the source said, adding that the agency has the names and list of owners of the companies.

Those who are adamant in not coming forward will face sterner action, the source added. – May 16, 2023.