Ismail Sabri should explain why TH RCI report was withheld, says Zulkifli

Dr Zulkifli Hasan, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Religious Affairs, questioned why Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's administration withheld the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) for nearly four years. The report, completed in July 2022, remained undisclosed until July of this year, despite being presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in August 2022.

Zulkifli inquired during the final session of the special Dewan Rakyat sitting on the TH RCI report about why MPs who were in Parliament at the time did not raise the issue with the government then. He explained that the Madani government's decision to delay releasing the report was to allow TH time to implement its recommendations and focus on restoring the institution, which had faced a crisis of confidence in 2019 due to the withdrawal of about RM6 billion by depositors.

The Madani government believed giving TH time to strengthen its financial practices was crucial. Today, with TH's position significantly improved, the report was made public. The RCI found weaknesses in TH's governance and financial management, including accounting practices that resulted in a reported RM3.4 billion profit in 2017 instead of a net loss of RM1.4 billion.

The report recommended reforms, such as barring active politicians from serving on TH's board and placing its investment activities under Securities Commission Malaysia's oversight.