Human Resources Ministry fund in multi-million ringgit contract scandal
(The Ant Daily) – The well-endowed Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) has come under scrutiny for alleged irregularities in the award of a multi-million ringgit contract to a little-known college.
Sources said the lucrative contract to certify “skilled” workers was farmed out to Bena College, which has no track record in this area.
A 45-page report detailing the alleged wrongdoings had been sent to the higher-ups, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the sources said.
Among other things, the report questioned why no tender was called for the project despite the huge amount involved.
PSMB, an agency under the Human Resources Ministry, administers the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), which manages about RM1 billion in mandatory employer contributions for human capital development.
Recently, the government announced a RM400 million allocation for upskilling and reskilling programmes which cover the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Malaysian Skills Certificate (MSC) programmes, among others.
The report claimed that the ministry had approved accreditation based on a separate module from the one traditionally recognised by the Department of Skills Development (DSD).
In the past, skilled workers who lacked paper qualifications in their areas of expertise could apply to the department to have their skills accredited under the RPL programme.
Depending on their levels of proficiency, applicants would be awarded the MSC, levels one to five.
