Kamarudin Hussin, the proprietor of PB Maju Automotive, claimed trial after the charges were read to him before sessions court judge Azura Alwi today.

Kamarudin, 45, is charged with deceiving Socso employees Mira Sabriena Romzain and Norsofieyana Zamri by providing a name list of fictitious persons who he said were his firm’s employees to secure RM424,000 in funds.

The government had come up with the Penjana Kerjaya scheme to assist taxi drivers whose incomes were affected by the lockdown.

He is alleged to have committed the offence by submitting the name list at Wisma Perkeso, Jalan Tun Razak here in December 2020.

The money was deposited into his firm’s bank account.

The offence is punishable with a jail term of up to five years or a fine or both upon conviction.

Kamarudin was also charged with using a forged document to apply for the scheme to deceive Socso to part with another RM203,700.

He is alleged to have deceived Socso officers Sharifah Munirah Syed Muhammad and Norsofieyana by producing the document at Socso’s premises in January 2021.

This offence is punishable with a sentence of up to seven years’ jail and a fine if found guilty.

Kamarudin, who is also the president of the Malaysian Association of Taxi, Rental Car, Limousine and Airport Taxi Drivers, was freed after he posted bail of RM30,000 in one surety.

Azura also ordered his passport to be impounded and that he report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commissions’s nearest office once every two months pending the disposal of his case.

Deputy public prosecutor Nor Diana Nor Azwa prosecuted while R Kengadharan represented the accused.