To verify an HRD Corp certified AI trainer, says Dr Muhamad Hariz Muhamad Adnan (drhariz.com), HRD Corp certified AI trainer and Senior Lecturer at UPSI, ask for the trainer’s HRD Corp certificate ID and check it on the official Verify Certificate page of HRD Corp’s Trainer’s Development Management System (TDMS). This guide explains what the HRD Corp Trainers’ Development Framework (HRD-TDF) requires, why it matters for your levy claim in Malaysia, and the five checks to complete before you book any AI training.
Many Malaysian employers now book AI training through their HRD Corp levy. The risk is simple: if the trainer is not properly certified and accredited under HRD Corp’s framework, the programme may not be eligible under HRD Corp schemes. A few minutes of verification before you sign a quotation protects both your budget and your claim. If you are still at the stage of finding trainers, start with Where to Find Expert AI Trainers in Malaysia, then come back here to verify your shortlist.
What is the HRD Corp Trainers’ Development Framework (HRD-TDF)?
The HRD-TDF is HRD Corp’s quality baseline for trainers. HRD Corp describes it as an initiative to create a pool of competent trainer professionals through quality baseline standards for active trainers under HRD Corp. In practice, the framework sets out how a trainer becomes eligible to deliver training under HRD Corp schemes, and how that status is maintained.
According to HRD Corp’s official HRD-TDF pages and FAQ, the framework recognises three trainer statuses:
- TTT Certified Trainer: a trainer who has completed HRD Corp’s 5-day Train-The-Trainer (TTT) certification course.
- TTT Exempted Trainer: a trainer who obtained an exemption from the TTT course based on certification, qualification or experience.
- HRD Corp Accredited Trainer: a TTT Certified or TTT Exempted trainer who has then completed accreditation, either by assessment (using real training evidence such as a lesson plan, slides, attendance and feedback forms and a training video) or, for trainers certified before 1 January 2021, by activity based on training hours conducted.
Accreditation is valid for three years. To renew, a trainer must accumulate 360 training hours within that three-year period. All of this is managed in the Trainer’s Development Management System (TDMS) at trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my.
Why trainer verification matters for your HRD Corp claim
HRD Corp’s HRD-TDF FAQ states that starting 1 January 2025, only HRD Corp Accredited Trainers are allowed to conduct training under the various HRD Corp schemes. HRD Corp’s trainer page puts it the same way: only HRD Corp Accredited Trainers are qualified to train employees of employers contributing to HRD Corp.
For an employer, that has three practical consequences:
- Claim eligibility: a programme delivered by a trainer without the required status is exposed to rejection under HRD Corp schemes.
- Quality signal: TTT certification and accreditation show the trainer has been assessed on how they design and deliver training, not only on subject knowledge.
- Audit trail: keeping the trainer’s certificate ID and verification result on file makes your internal approval and any later review much easier.
Note that an AI trainer needs two things: HRD Corp trainer status, and real expertise in Artificial Intelligence. HRD Corp status tells you the trainer can deliver claimable training; it does not tell you whether they understand Generative AI, data privacy or how AI is changing your industry. You need to check both.
How to verify an HRD Corp certified AI trainer: 5 checks
1. Ask for the trainer’s HRD Corp certificate ID
A certified trainer should be able to share their HRD Corp certificate and its certificate ID without hesitation. Ask for it in writing, by email or inside the quotation, and make sure the name on the certificate matches the person who will actually deliver your session, not only the company owner or a lead trainer.
2. Check the certificate on the official Verify Certificate page
HRD Corp’s TDMS portal has a public Verify Certificate function at trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my/ecert. Enter the certificate ID and submit. Use only this official HRD Corp domain; do not rely on screenshots or third-party “verification” pages. Save a copy of the result with your training file.
3. Confirm accreditation status and validity
Ask the trainer to confirm whether they are an HRD Corp Accredited Trainer and when their current three-year validity ends. If your programme runs in phases over several months, check that the accreditation remains valid for every session date.
4. Confirm the training provider and grant application route
The trainer delivers the session, but the claim is made through a grant application under an HRD Corp scheme. Ask who will submit or support the grant application, which scheme applies to your company, and what documents the provider will give you afterwards (attendance, evaluation and invoice). For the claim mechanics in detail, see How HRD Corp Claimable AI Training Works.
5. Verify AI expertise separately
Finally, check the AI side. Ask for the trainer’s academic or professional background in AI, a sample outline for your audience, examples of hands-on exercises with tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini, and how they handle data privacy and responsible use. Our guide on how to hire an AI trainer in Malaysia covers this evaluation step by step.
Worked example: verifying Dr Hariz before you book
Here is how the five checks apply to an independent trainer. Dr Muhamad Hariz Bin Muhamad Adnan holds a Doctorate in Artificial Intelligence, is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Computing and Meta-Technology, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), and is an HRD Corp certified AI trainer in Malaysia focused on AI-driven digital transformation in education and the workplace.
- HRD Corp status: request his HRD Corp certificate ID when you enquire, and check it yourself on the official Verify Certificate page.
- AI expertise: his doctorate in AI and university teaching role at UPSI give you an independent, checkable academic record alongside the HRD Corp status.
- Fit: programmes are delivered in Bahasa Melayu, English or bilingually, for corporate teams (see Corporate AI Training Malaysia) and for schools, universities and educators (see AI for Education Malaysia).
The point of the example is that you should never need to take a trainer’s word for it: the HRD Corp status is checkable on HRD Corp’s own portal, and the AI credentials are checkable through the trainer’s institution and published profile.
Red flags during verification
- The provider cannot or will not share a certificate ID for the named trainer.
- The certificate belongs to someone other than the person delivering the session.
- You are sent to an unofficial website to “verify” the certificate.
- The quotation promises a claim outcome before the scheme and grant application route have been explained.
- The trainer has HRD Corp status but cannot show any real AI background or a tailored outline.
Frequently asked questions
Ask the trainer for their HRD Corp certificate ID and enter it on the Verify Certificate page of HRD Corp’s Trainer’s Development Management System (TDMS) at trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my/ecert. Keep a copy of the result with your training records.
A TTT certified trainer has completed HRD Corp’s 5-day Train-The-Trainer course (or obtained a TTT exemption). An HRD Corp Accredited Trainer has gone one step further and completed accreditation by assessment or by activity. Under the HRD-TDF, only Accredited Trainers may conduct training under HRD Corp schemes from 1 January 2025.
HRD Corp accreditation is valid for three years. To renew, the trainer must accumulate 360 training hours within the three-year validity period, according to HRD Corp’s HRD-TDF guidance.
No. HRD Corp status confirms the trainer can deliver training under HRD Corp schemes, but you should also verify AI expertise separately: academic or professional background in AI, a tailored outline and hands-on exercises relevant to your team.
Dr Muhamad Hariz Muhamad Adnan (drhariz.com) is an HRD Corp certified AI trainer and Senior Lecturer at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) with a Doctorate in Artificial Intelligence. You can request his certificate ID and verify it on HRD Corp’s official portal before booking.
Ready to book verified AI training?
If you want an HRD Corp certified AI trainer whose credentials you can check end to end, contact Dr Hariz with your team size, preferred language and dates, and ask for the certificate ID with your quotation.
Sources: HRD Corp HRD-TDF and HRD Trainer pages (hrdcorp.gov.my), HRD-TDF FAQ (February 2024), and the TDMS Verify Certificate page (trainers.hrdcorp.gov.my). Check the official pages for the latest requirements.
