M.Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, adjunct professor and author
Malaysians are now wondering if 222 parliamentary constituencies would be funded by HRD Corp at the expense of employers, trainers and taxpayers.
Former human resources minister M. Saravanan said he had nothing to do with the RM1.5 million renovation of a community centre in his Tapah parliamentary constituency.
The decision to allocate RM1.5 million for renovating a community centre in Tapah, Perak, was made “entirely” by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) board, said Saravanan.
“There was a need to support the Orang Asli community with a learning and development facility.
“However, the decisions on where to establish the centre, the scale of the renovation, and the financial expenditures were made entirely by the HRD Corp board,” Saravanan told FMT.
Malaysiakini reported that HRD Corp’s RM1.5 million renovation of a community centre in Tapah was driven by its location in the then-human resources minister’s parliamentary constituency. (See video)
HRD Corp chief executive Shahul Hamid Shaik Dawood told the Public Accounts Committee the choice of Tapah was influenced by the need to support the Orang Asli community with a learning and development facility.
“The Ministry of Human Resources and HRD Corp have introduced many programmes to support the communities in Tapah,” Saravanan said.
However, under questioning by PAC, he acknowledged that Tapah being the then minister’s constituency was a factor in the decision.
He said future projects might be considered in other areas with sufficient budget.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns.
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