Socso Tightened PenjanaKerjaya Monitoring to Stop Abuse
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Employers involved in the Hiring Incentive Programme (PenjanaKerjaya) would be subjected to thorough vetting and frequent monitoring by the Social Security Organization (Socso).
Socso CEO Azman Aziz Mohammed said that the decision is intended to prevent employers' further misuse of PenjanaKerjaya funds. According to him, Socso did not fail to monitor prior to the claim procedure but that certain employers may have manipulated the paperwork in order to make them appear authentic.
When Socso went down to the ground, he said that they found there were elements of misappropriation and that they would not compromise in this matter. Azman said that any irregularities might be found through internal intelligence collection and that any information would be forwarded to authorities for further action.
The suspension of PenjanaKerjaya's payments
Socso suspended payments for the PenjanaKerjaya totalling RM423 million on July 15 due to misappropriation and false claims regarding companies and training providers. According to Azman, the suspension was based on data analysis and ongoing monitoring by the agency's Anti-Fraud, Ethics, and Integrity unit.
He stated that the investigation into the fake claims was performed through Ops Hire, in cooperation with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), after surveillance and intelligence discovered that select employers had made false claims and misused funds since May of last year.
He said Socso is committed to offering its support and total cooperation to MACC in investigating the PenjanaKerjaya false claim cases involving employers and training providers under Ops Hire.
According to him, Socso took the misappropriation of funds seriously because the government's financial aid is intended to lessen the burden of those who are truly in need in accordance with the established requirements and procedures.
Azman stated that Socso had distributed RM2.34 billion to 45,379 businesses in order to hire 327,789 jobseekers through the PenjanaKerjaya programme.He noted that because taxpayer funds are involved, Socso constantly emphasises integrity, honesty, and trust in delivering government financial assistance.
He advised employers to be truthful while applying for any government aid programmes, including the agency's PenjanaKerjaya programme.
He added that employers who misused cash or submitted false claims were asked to come forward and make voluntary repayments or contact Socso to rectify the issue before legal action was taken.
PenjanaKerjaya, which was part of the National Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA), aimed to increase job demand among businesses while also boosting job opportunities and employability amongst local job seekers.