Zulkifli urges opposition MPs to return for Tabung Haji RCI debate

KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Zulkifli Hasan, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Religious Affairs, has urged opposition MPs to return to Parliament for the debate on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report regarding Tabung Haji. During a briefing on the report, Zulkifli expressed disappointment over the opposition's decision to walk out of the Dewan Rakyat during a special sitting focused on the RCI.

He emphasized that the debate was centered on an institution of deep significance to Malaysia's Muslim community. Zulkifli lamented that not all opposition MPs left, but half of them did so. He fervently called on the opposition to rejoin the House and engage in the debate, stating that they should champion the agenda of Muslims in Malaysia.

Tabung Haji, he noted, is an institution entrusted with safeguarding the savings and aspirations of millions of Muslim depositors and should not be politicized. The minister stressed that every ringgit deposited with Tabung Haji represents years of sacrifice by ordinary Malaysians saving for the haj pilgrimage. Trust in Tabung Haji was once betrayed, and the responsibility now lies with ensuring that political interests do not override the interests of depositors and the Muslim community.