Make public full report on Tabung Haji RCI reforms, recovery efforts, says Dr Zaliha

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, chairman of the Government Backbenchers Club and MP for Sekijang, has called for the disclosure of a full report on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) recommendations and recovery efforts related to the Tabung Haji (TH). The TH serves a crucial role in managing savings for Muslim Malaysians, particularly for the haj pilgrimage. Dr Zaliha believes that transparency is crucial to restore depositors' confidence in the institution.

She welcomed the progress made in implementing the RCI recommendations but emphasized that the August House needs a clearer picture of which recommendations have been completed, which are still in progress, and a timeline for the remaining ones. Furthermore, she proposed that a report on the recovery of TH's losses should also be made public, so that people are aware of the steps taken to address the issues.

Dr Zaliha highlighted three key areas in her debate: TH's financial position and profit distributions, its investments, and governance accountability. She pointed out that political pressure ahead of a general election was a significant factor behind TH's financial crisis, as pointed out by the RCI. Dr Zaliha also emphasized the importance of examining the role of TH's leadership, including its former chairman, Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, who held multiple positions in TH subsidiaries and related companies.

The government established the RCI in 2021 and appointed its members on January 20, 2022. The 211-page RCI report, only recently made public, detailed management and operational weaknesses at TH between 2014 and 2020 and outlined 25 recommendations for improvement. As of July 30, 2023, TH had implemented 75% of the recommendations.