KUALA LUMPUR – Finance Ministry official Datuk Rosli Yaakub has returned to Human Resource Development Corp’s (HRD Corp) board of directors, following his controversial removal from the agency last year.
The reappointment was announced by Human Resources Minister Steven Sim on his official X account today, accompanied by a photo of the two.
“Welcome back, Datuk Rosli Yaakub. I have reappointed Datuk Rosli to the board of directors of HRD Corp after the termination of his appointment last year,” Sim said in the caption of the post.
“We talked for an hour about reforms in HRD Corp. I am confident that the board of directors & HRD (Corp) management are capable of being a great skills training management body.”
Rosli found himself in the crosshairs of some in the ministry leadership in May of last year following his vocal opposition against the Skills Passport programme, which eventually came under the lens of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
It was reported that Rosli, who is the Finance Ministry deputy secretary for governance and monitoring (government investment companies division) that served as the representative on HRD Corp’s board, red-flagged a proposal to introduce the Skills Passport programme, due to lack of clarity on governance and transparency.
In a six-page letter on April 10, addressed to then HRD Corp chairman Datuk R. Rajasekharan and chief executive Datuk Shahul Hameed Dawood and titled “Non-compliance with Procurement Procedures in the Skills Passport project”, Rosli said the project – a skills database cum search engine – was being pushed through without the board’s approval.
He also raised concerns that the company chosen for the project had weak financials, and potential financial implications ranging from RM53 million to RM159.47 million for HRD Corp to implement the programme.
The letter also claimed that HRD Corp had already signed a contract with Neomindz, with a reported payment of RM12 for each use of the Skills Passport programme.
Subsequently, Rosli was removed from the board during V. Sivakumar’s tenure as human resources minister.
In August of last year, HRD Corp, which falls under the purview of the Human Resources Ministry, was among several agencies that came under scrutiny for breaches in good governance practices and procurement processes.
In April, Sivakumar was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission as part of the latter’s investigations into a migrant worker recruitment scam.
At least two of Sivakumar’s close aides and a businessman were detained but later released.
In October and November last year, the PAC summoned Sivakumar to testify in an ongoing probe regarding HRD Corp’s handling of training funds and programme management.
Other than Sivakumar, Rosli, Shahul, Human Resources Ministry Deputy Secretary-General (Policy and International) Datuk Amran Ahmad, and another former HRD Corp board member Datuk Grace Chia Hui Yen were also called in to testify before the PAC. – February 6, 2024