MPs question delay in making Tabung Haji RCI report public

Seventeen Malaysian politicians have questioned the delay in releasing the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the Tabung Haji (TH) institution, with findings only recently made public after four years. The report, submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on August 30, 2022, was finally disclosed publicly in July of the same year.

MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik criticized the government for not making the report public sooner, arguing that the public has the right to know why the TH RCI report remained hidden for almost four years. He urged the minister responsible to explain the delay, who authorized its release, and if the delay impacted investigations, enforcement actions, and asset recovery efforts.

MP Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa echoed similar concerns, emphasizing the need for accurate information given the existing perceptions of TH's performance. He pointed to a notable incident in January and February 2016, when a surge in withdrawals by depositors amounted to RM41 million on February 10, followed by RM49.8 million on February 11 and RM27.9 million on February 12. This led to 3,954 depositors closing their accounts and 3,105 losing eligibility for haj cash assistance.

The 211-page RCI report revealed governance weaknesses, including political interference in management and distribution of profits without proper accounting for depreciation and declines in investment fair value. It also alleged that TH should have recorded a net loss of RM1.4 billion in 2017, rather than the reported RM3.4 billion profit, had Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards been fully applied.