KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry via the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) collected a record-breaking levy amounting to RM2.2bil in 2023.
Its minister Steven Sim said the HRD Corp also approved RM1.78bil in financial assistance and over 2.2 million training places that benefited the nation since its establishment in 1993.
In comparison, in 2022, the HRD Corp collected RM1.81bil in levies, disbursed over RM728mil in training funds and supported 1.15 million training places, he pointed out.
“Our commitment is to provide more training to improve productivity among workers and help spur the economy.
“I always stress the importance of 3K in enhancing the Kebajikan (Welfare), Kemahiran (Skills) and Keberhasilan (Productivity) among Malaysian workers.
“We will go all out for skill training, which is the gap to productivity. We want our employers when they pay us levies happily.
“This will help them know that the levy paid can increase productivity,” he said on Wednesday (Feb 21).
Sim was speaking at the HRD Corp Chinese New Year celebrations at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur.
Also present at the celebration were Human Resources Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad and the ministry’s Secretary General Datuk Sri Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
The celebration was hosted by HRD Corp, led by its Chairman Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid Chief Executive Datuk Wira Shahul Dawood, the board of directors, and the senior leadership team.
Some 1,000 guests including HRD Corp’s stakeholders comprising Malaysian employers, industry associations, trainers, training providers and media were in attendance.
Abu Huraira said the success they had achieved last year would not have been possible without help and support from other organisations.
He also added that HRD Corp remained firmly behind the leadership and that the agency was looking forward to the continued support of its stakeholders.
“The celebration is a gesture to show their appreciation towards every registered employer, training provider and all our stakeholders for all the work we have done together to support the government’s nation-building agenda,” he said.
During the event, there was the traditional tossing of the Yee Sang ceremony while guests were entertained with Lion and dragon dance performances as well as other Chinese musicals.