KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — The Social Security Organisation (Socso) will conduct strict vetting and regular checks on employers involved in the Employment Recruitment Incentive Programme (PenjanaKerjaya).

Its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said the move is to ensure there is no further misappropriation of the PenjanaKerjaya funds involving employers.

"It’s not that we (Socso) didn’t monitor before (the claim process), but some of them (employers) might have used certain ways to manipulate it (the document) to make it look genuine.

"But when we go down to the ground, we found that there are elements of abuse (misappropriation). We will not compromise,” he said at a press conference on the JaminKerja Wage Incentive (JKIP) programme and the achievements of the Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia Career Expo 2022, here today.

It was reported that Socso has suspended the payments for PenjanaKerjaya amounting to RM423 million following misappropriation and false claims involving employers and training providers.

Mohammed Azman said any irregularity could be detected based on internal intelligence gathering and all information would be channelled to the authorities for further action.

In another development, he said Socso was confident of fulfilling the government’s mandate to provide 55,000 job opportunities for vulnerable groups through the JKIP programme which has been extended for six months until December.

He said to achieve the target, a total of RM475 million wiould be channelled as an incentive to employers to create job opportunities and recruit employees.

"The target of 55,000 job opportunities is open to all sectors. Based on statistics, many individuals, including 3,568 women have benefited from this programme,” he said.

On the five-day Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia Career Expo 2022 at the World Trade Centre (WTC) here which drew its curtain on Wednesday, Mohammed Azman said the event was attended by nearly 14,000 visitors with 1,712 job seekers managed to secure jobs while another 10,698 people made it to the second interview.

He said the event was the biggest career carnival ever organised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Socso and it has earned an entry into the Malaysia Book of Records for the largest career expo ever held in Malaysia. — Bernama