This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 28, 2024 - November 3, 2024

In July, there was heavy newsflow on Human Resource Development Corp (HRD Corp). The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) confirmed it was looking into the government agency and its CEO Datuk Shahul Hameed Dawood offered to go on garden leave to facilitate investigations.

Many issues were flagged and in the crosshairs was the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which questioned HRD Corp’s investments of RM3.77 billion, among other perceived irregularities.

The PAC sought the findings of an independent audit on HRD Corp from the Ministry of Human Resources by September this year. However, there is still no update on the situation at HRD Corp.

While the PAC chairperson Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin has said she will seek feedback from the human resources ministry on the findings of the independent audit on HRD Corp in parliament soon, shouldn’t there have been follow-up announcements on the investigations, either by the anti-graft body or HRD Corp itself prior to this?

The RM3.77 billion is a lot of money, obtained from the collection of levy from employers with more than nine local employees on their payroll. There has to be accountability for its use and spending.

When any government agency undertakes an investigation, and especially if it is as high profile as the HRD Corp investigation, there has to be follow-up announcements on the findings and updates. It should be made clear what the findings of the investigations are, if there was any wrongdoing, or if the investigations had stalled for whatever reason. It should all be made public.

Measures can be taken to prevent a repeat of the wrongdoing — if any — and weaknesses in governance can be addressed. Only then will there be any level of confidence in the government agencies in the country, including the anti-graft body.

The silence would suggest that the issues highlighted by the PAC are not being acted on and it is business as usual at HRD Corp.

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