KUALA LUMPUR – Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan has dismissed claims of a “cleansing” process within the Human Resources Development Corporation (HRD Corp), describing current staff suspensions as necessary to the organisation’s governance.
The ongoing changes and investigations are a strategic effort to rectify past disputes and address issues previously flagged by the National Audit Department, he added.
“We are upgrading, we are making sure we are putting all the correct tools in place so that no problems occur after this,” Ramanan said, dismissing talk of a “cleansing” exercise alleged by some parties.
Ramanan was speaking during a press conference after launching the MYFutureJobs Career Exploration Centre at Nu Sentral, here, today.
Last Saturday, HRD Corp suspended three more members of its management as part of efforts to strengthen institutional discipline and preserve industry confidence.
Addressing concerns regarding the appointment of new leadership, Ramanan emphasised that the ministry is prioritising professionals to manage the organisation.
He said the recent appointments of a former chief executive officer of a government-linked company commission, and a former deputy treasury secretary-general, are evidence of this new direction.were cited as evidence of this direction.
“That is the sort of people that we are going to put into place,” he said.
Ramanan did not rule out appointing individuals from political parties in the future, but he emphasised that competency and adherence to governance will be non-negotiable.
“If they are qualified, can perform the task well, and follow the governance and regulations of HRD Corp, it is not a problem but for now, we do not have (individuals from political parties in place),” he said.
Ramanan noted that while HRD Corp’s restructuring will likely be finalised by mid- or late March, the process of improving the organisation will be an on-going effort.
“In any large organisation, there is always room for improvement and betterment. It will be a continuous process,” he added. – February 23, 2026