HUMAN Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp) chief executive officer Shahul Hameed Dawood is on leave pending the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation into the company.

In a statement today, Shahul said he volunteered to take leave pending the MACC probe but remained steadfast to HRD Corp.

“While I am away, the organisation will maintain all processes as usual and regular operations will continue to run smoothly to ensure there is no disruption to our services,” Shahul said.

Earlier this month, the Auditor-General’s Chambers urged the Human Resources Ministry to refer the management of HRD Corp to the relevant enforcement agencies after the government entity failed its audit.

“The ministry must take the necessary action against HRD Corp’s management on the identified mismanagement by referring the matter to the relevant enforcement agency,” Auditor-General (AG) Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi had said in the latest Auditor-General’s Report.

Among others, auditors found mismanagement of hundreds of millions of ringgit involving training grants, investments and property purchases.

Several government lawmakers urged Shahul to go on leave pending the MACC probe.

Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin and Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim told the Dewan Rakyat that the move was necessary to restore public confidence following the findings in the AG’s report and by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Hassan said Shahul should be suspended or terminated, adding that he was on the board of directors and the investment panel.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said he would not shield any HRD Corp officials during the investigation.

“Whether appointing or terminating someone, whether in a government-linked company or a private corporation, there is a procedure for termination.

“When a case is under the MACC’s investigation, it’s not about terminating officials in the corporation, it involves a criminal offence. For the first time ever, the MACC took immediate action by initiating a probe within 24 hours of reports published by the AG and PAC.

“I will not protect anyone, and no one is safe if they are guilty. This will do justice to this issue,” Sim said in a press conference in Parliament. – July 18, 2024.