Press Digest: Contributors cry foul over 1Malaysia GRIP

PETALING JAYA: Employers contributing to the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) are crying foul that effective March 1, this year, 30% of their contributions will be used to fund the 1Malaysia Globally Recognised Industry and Professional (1Malaysia GRIP) programme.
They are not happy that 1Malaysia GRIP is open to non-contributors, and the move means that contributing companies will have 30% less in their funds to train their own employees, Nanyang Siang Pau reported today.
It is understood that Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB), an agency under the Human Resources Ministry, is implementing the programme in accordance with a proposal under Budget 2015, with a target fund of RM300 million.
A source told the daily the government will match contribution from HRDF dollar-for-dollar.
This means the government will contribute RM150 million to the fund with the rest coming from the HRDF.
PSMB is currently holding briefings for employers contributing to HRDF. According to the report, there were heavy fireworks in at least one of the briefing sessions because the participants were not happy with the answers provided by the officials.
According to a notice to HRDF contributing employers from PSMB, 1Malaysia GRIP took off on March 1, and 30,000 employees are expected to benefit from the programme.
Contributors feel their interests were eroded as 1Malaysia GRIP opens its applications to employees from non-contributors as well, and on the “first come, first served” basis.
Some are also not happy that the briefings are only held this month although the programme started in March.
Basic questions such as “For how long do employers have to contribute 30% of their HRDF to the programme?” and “How to ensure that the fund used to train employees of non-contributors does not exceed that used to train contributors’ employees?”, and on the workings of the programme were not provided with satisfactory answers.
There were also concerns that the training programmes approved by PSMB may not necessary meet the requirements of employers.