Penjana Kerjaya false claims: A summary of ongoing court cases

In late 2020, during the Muhyiddin Yassin-led administration, Penjana Kerjaya was launched, offering financial incentives of between RM600 and RM1,000 to employers for each employee or apprentice hired for up to six months.

However, the programme under the National Economic Recovery Plan - which aimed to promote quality job creation and reduce unemployment - had courted controversy since then, with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) having nabbed over 50 individuals for investigations into false claims and misappropriation of Penjana Kerjaya monies.

Via operation Op Hire, in collaboration with the Social Security Organisation (Socso), MACC detained various individuals, including company owners, directors, managers, shareholders, engineers and executives, since the middle of last year.

Several people have since been charged in courts nationwide, with all of them pleading not guilty and granted bail pending the disposal of their criminal cases.

Here is the summary of the ongoing court cases thus far. As of Jan 26 this year, the MACC is still hauling to court individuals who were nabbed under Op Hire.

2022

Sept 26

Kuala Terengganu: Sessions Court: Company director Ezza Suria Muda was charged with two counts of document falsification, linked to Penjana Kerjaya funds, at Akademi Binaan Malaysia Wilayah Timur in Hulu Terengganu, on Nov 3 and Nov 23, 2020.

The 37-year-old was alleged to have falsified the documents - containing a list of employee names - with intent to deceive.

The charges were framed under Section 468 of the Penal Code, and carry a maximum sentence of imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine, if convicted.

2023

Jan 9

Kuala Lumpur: Sessions Court: Four individuals were charged with falsifying documents to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) for claiming RM504,460 in incentives linked to Program Penjana Kerjaya 2.0.

NVDS Technology Sdn Bhd CEO Md Zaidi Muhammad, 45, was charged with one charge of duping Socso with the employee confirmation form dated April 22, 2021, in order to claim RM343,660 in Penjana Kerjaya incentives.

He was accused of using a false document containing the names of people who were not employees of the company.

Then, Mohamed Hazzri Mohamed Amin, who used to be a director of Lan Trading & Construction Con and Percetakan Haz Sdn Bhd, was hit with three charges.

Two of the charges accused the 45-year-old of giving false documentation, dated June 3 and 29, 2021, to Socso to claim RM40,900 in Penjana Kerjaya incentives.

For the third charge, Mohamed Hazzri and co-accused, Ilham Diya Enterprise director Nor Rizan Zakaria, 59, were accused of giving the documents dated March 6 and May 29, 2021, to Socso in order to claim RM110,800 incentives under the programme.

Meanwhile, Bmine Enterprise manager Muhammad Asyraf Omar, 31, was charged for the giving of a document, dated July 31, 2021, to Socso in order to claim incentives of RM9,100.

Md Zaidi and Muhammad Asyraf were alleged to have committed the offence at a Socso office in Putrajaya, while Mohamed Hazzri and Nor Rizan were purported to have perpetrated the offence at a Socso office at Perkeso, Jalan Ampang, between March 6 and Sept 13, 2021.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009, and punishable under Section 24 of the same Act, with a maximum imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.

Jan 10

Kuala Lumpur: Sessions Court: Three individuals were charged with allegedly submitting false documents to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to claim hiring incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya Programme 2.0 amounting to RM190,700.

AS Hayana Services proprietor Amir Shariffuddin Haron was charged with one count of submitting a Hiring Incentive Programme employee verification form dated March 5, 2021, to Socso to claim incentives totalling RM45,900 and dupe the body, when the document allegedly listed names of individuals who were not new employees of the company.

Ikon Technical Academy Sdn Bhd chief executive Noorun Nashriah Ramli was hit with seven charges of submitting the form dated between June 25 and Aug 14, 2021, to Socso in order to claim RM112,000 in incentives.

Frans F&B Enterprise proprietor Farhan Taufik was charged with one count of submitting the form dated June 1, 2021, to Socso for the purpose of claiming incentives of RM32,800.

Amir Shariffudin and Farhan were accused of committing the offence at Wisma Perkeso at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, while Noorun Nasriah purportedly perpetrated it at Menara Perkeso, Putrajaya, between March 5 and Oct 1, 2021.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

Jan 11

Kuala Lumpur: Sessions Court: Three individuals were hauled to the court over the alleged falsifying of documents in order to claim Penjana Kerjaya hiring incentives which totalled RM123,100.

The trio were housewife Mazlina Ali, barber Mohamad Mohamed Amin and insurance agent Isa Mohd Ismail.

Mazlina, 45, was charged with one count of making a false claim for RM3,600 from Socso by submitting a falsified staff verification form through Perusahaan Aida Hani Enterprise.

Mohamad, 31, was hit with two counts of falsifying documents to claim RM68,500 in incentives under two companies, Perusahaan Translimit Industries and Perusahaan Mikel Enterprise, via the submission of five staff verification forms and names of new workers, who allegedly did not work at the companies.

Isa, 28, was charged with submitting falsified documents to claim RM51,000 in incentives, linked to his company Isa Legacy.

The offences were allegedly perpetrated at Socso offices in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya between March 9, 2021, and May 29, 2021.

The trio were separately charged under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Jan 12

Shah Alam Sessions Court: Bmine Enterprise manager Muhammad Asyraf Omar and RR Sinergi Enterprise owner Muhammad Aliff Abdul Rashid were charged with submitting false documents to Socso to claim RM756,980 in incentives under Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 and 3.0.

They were accused of intending to deceive Socso by submitting documents containing false statements in the verification form as the list of employees named in the document were not employees of their enterprises

Asyraf, 31, was hit with a charge of submitting false documents in the employee verification form dated May 20, 2021, in the name of Bmine Enterprise to a Socso officer for RM42,000 in incentives.

Aliff, 36, was charged with six counts involving the alleged use of the name Perusahaan RR Sinergi Enterprise, dated May 20 and May 21 and Sept 4, 2021, at a Perkeso office to claim incentives of RM714,180.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Jan 13

Shah Alam Sessions Court: Businessperson M Karthikesan was charged with nine counts of submitting false documents to Socso to claim over RM1.4 million in Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 incentives.

The 44-year-old was accused of submitting documents bearing false information under the name of Profit Sonata Sdn Bhd, dated between May 4, 2021, and June 21, 2021, in order to claim RM1,448,240.

Karthikesan is alleged to have duped Socso by claiming the documents contained a list of staff employed by the company.

The offence was allegedly committed at Wisma Perkeso in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, between May 22, 2021, and June 25, 2021.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Jan 16

Ayer Keroh Sessions Court: A company and two managers of different firms were charged separately with the submission of false documents to Socso in order to claim RM146,500 in hiring incentives under Penjana Kerjaya 2.0.

The trio - Muhammad Hafizi Ab Jamal, 33, Asmida Shahfika Abdul Rahman, 25, and Nurul Ain Shamdudin, 30 - were accused of submitting the Hiring Incentive Programme employee verification forms, from May 19 to June 18, 2021, at the Malacca Socso office in order to dupe the body.

It was alleged that the submitted documents listed names of individuals who are not new employees of the companies.

Hafizi, who is the manager of Rizky H&I Global, was charged with two counts of submitting documents for RM74,600 in claims.

Asmida Shahfika, the owner of Roti Warisan Enterprise, faced one count of submitting claims totalling RM36,900, whereas Nurul Ain, who manages Zaharain Enterprise, was hit with one charge of deceiving Socso with false submissions for RM35,900.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Jan 17

Ayer Keroh Sessions Court: Three businesspersons were charged with submitting false claims to Socso for incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme totalling RM108,900.

Darus Jidin, as the owner of D-J Warisan Enterprise, was charged with submitting the employee verification form of the Employment Incentive Programme that contains false details to a Sosco agent to claim the incentive amounting to RM46,400.

The 49-year-old was alleged to have submitted the names of new workers who were not under the employment of his company, at the Malacca Socso office in Ayer Keroh on March 9, 2021.

Kamaruddin Ab Kadir, 58, was charged with the same offence in the name of Syafi Muhjah TC, involving claims amounting to RM23,800, at the same place on May 18, 2021.

Mohd Fahmi Fikri Mohd Nor, 30, also faced the same charge in the name of Arrizqi 46 Enterprise involving claims amounting to RM38,700 at the same place on May 29, 2021.

All the charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court: Businessperson M Karthikesan was charged with six counts of submitting false documents to Socso to claim incentives under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 programme amounting to RM1.26 million.

The 44-year-old, who is the owner of Fajaa Murudana Sdn Bhd, was alleged to have submitted the employee verification form for the Employee Recruitment Incentive Programme, dated May 12 and 25, and June 4, 2021, containing false information on behalf of the company to three Socso officials.

He was charged with intending to deceive Socso by giving the names of 34 employees who were actually not employees of Fajaa Murudana.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.

Jan 19

Ayer Keroh Sessions Court: Four individuals - Firdaus Fauzi, Ammar Roslan, Danish Fauzi, and Lajis Majid - were charged with submitting false documents to Socso for Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 incentives totalling RM208,400.

Firdaus, 28, was charged with three charges of submitting documents containing false information - including two made under the name of FF Kudrat Enterprise, amounting to RM30,500 and RM26,400.

He was also charged with a similar offence by submitting a claim under the name of Perusahaan Hijrah Legacy Enterprise for RM36,900. The offences were alleged to have been committed between Feb 26 and June 4, 2021.

Ammar, 31, was charged with committing a similar offence through the submission of a claim on behalf of Perusahaan Ammarsaniah Enterprise amounting to RM48,700 on May 20, 2021.

Danish, 22, was accused of submitting a claim of RM36,400 on behalf of Perusahaan Dniez Enterprise on June 3, 2021.

Lajis, 64, was charged with submitting an RM55,900 claim on behalf of the LBM Niaga Enterprise on May 8, 2021.

All the offences were purportedly committed at Wisma Perkeso, Malacca International Trade Centre in Hang Tuah Jaya, Ayer Keroh.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Jan 20

Ayer Keroh Sessions Court: Two businesspersons and a state Islamic religious office staff were charged with submitting false documents to Socso for Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 incentives totalling RM136,000.

Businessperson Marzila Daud, 46, was accused of submitting documents containing false information in the employee verification form under the name Ainnas Sweet Home Bakery, in order to claim incentives of RM50,000.

Siti Nor Sofwah Ahmad, 26, who is a staff of the state Islamic religious office, and businessperson Nick Farhan Zakiran Mahadi, were charged with committing similar offences by submitting false claims for incentives of RM41,000 and RM45,000, respectively.

Siti, 26, was accused of submitting a claim on behalf of Nor Sofwah Tea, while Nick, 30, purportedly submitted the claim on behalf of NFZ Engineering.

The offences were allegedly committed at Wisma Perkeso in Ayer Keroh between March 8, 2021, and April 16, 2021.

The trio were charged under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Jan 24

Alor Setar Sessions Court: Company owner Muhammad Syakireen Othman was charged with five counts of submitting false documents to claim Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 incentives amounting to RM17,500 from Socso.

Syakireen, 36, was accused of submitting a document in the name of the company, Round Globe Enterprise, containing a list of names of individuals who are not employees of the company, to a Socso agent.

The 36-year-old was alleged to have committed the offence at Wisma Perkeso in Jalan Teluk Wanjah, Alor Setar, between June 2021 and July 2021.

The charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act.

Jan 25

Johor Bahru Sessions Court: Company owner R Stephen was charged with two counts of submitting false documents to Socso to claim Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 incentives totalling RM250,000.

For the first charge, the 45-year-old was accused of giving the document under the name of his company to Socso Johor Bahru between May 3 and 6, 2021, in order to claim RM143,122 in incentives.

The document allegedly contained 12 names of people who were not staff at the accused’s company.

For the second charge, Stephen was accused of making false claims for RM109,864 on June 7, 2021.

The two charges were framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act. - Mkini