KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 21): Human Resources Minister Steven Sim has confirmed that the chief executive officer of Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp), Datuk Shahul Hameed Dawood, has returned to work.
According to Sim, Shahul had been on administrative leave since July 18 to allow the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) space to conduct its probe into the agency.
"After that [leave] period, he resumed work. Everyone is assumed innocent until proven guilty, and in this case, no HRD Corp personnel have been charged in court," he told the Dewan Rakyat while winding up the debate on Budget 2025 on Thursday.
However, Sim did not say anything about the findings of an independent audit that the ministry had said in July would be done by professional third-party auditors on HRD Corp, which had yet to be revealed. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had previously requested the ministry to present the findings of the independent audit at follow-up proceedings in September.
Sim was responding to a query by RSN Rayer (Pakatan Harapan-Jelutong), who sought confirmation on whether Shahul had returned to work. Members of Parliament had previously called on the government to suspend Shahul amid the investigation into the government-linked company.
HRD Corp came under scrutiny following reports by the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee in July, which highlighted a series of mismanagement issues, including suspicious disbursements, questionable property deals, and risky investments involving some RM3.77 billion.
The fiasco drew widespread criticism against HRD Corp, with a government MP describing the management at HRD Corp as "daylight robbery" of the government and its people.
Subsequently, the MACC sent a team of nearly a dozen investigators to HRD Corp's office to retrieve documents for its investigation into the agency. The anti-graft body reportedly focused its probe on the agency’s investments, management of training funds, and property purchases.
Following its reporting of the issue, HRD Corp had also threatened to sue The Edge for defamation, which prompted the PAC to condemn the move as it called on the agency to stop intimidating the media. The agency later retracted its letter of demand issued to The Edge on Sim's instruction.
On Thursday, Sim said the ministry would only take action against personnel found guilty of a crime, when Rayer further asked if the ministry had considered appointing a new CEO to replace Shahul until the investigation against PAC is completed.
"The name mentioned by YB Jelutong has not even been raised in any of the reports. So, it is unfair for us to point fingers at anyone before the investigation is completed," he said.
Sim also confirmed that Bank Negara Malaysia had withdrawn its representative from HRD Corp's investment panel in 2010, stressing that it was at the central bank's own insistence.
However, he noted that the Human Resource Development Act 2001 (HRD Act) requires the central bank's participation, and that the ministry would consider the need to amend the act.
Read also:
Frankly Speaking: Business as usual at HRD Corp?
Govt MP calls HRD Corp missteps 'daylight robbery'
Cover Story: HRD Corp’s investments, governance come under scrutiny
PAC flags dubious property deals by HRD Corp
AG flags HRD Corp for suspicious RM51.69m disbursements
PAC reveals HRD Corp has been using levy collected for risky investments
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