Zahid terbuka RCI Felda tapi jangan zalim

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim indicated the government will soon disclose the findings of a special task force investigation concerning Felda. In Kuala Lumpur, Zahid Hamidi expressed openness to establishing the Royal Malaysian Inspectorate (RCI) to probe Felda, but stressed it must not aim to harm or humiliate anyone.

The deputy prime minister said a loss of around RM9 billion linked to Felda cannot be taken lightly, and those responsible must be brought to court if there is strong evidence. Zahid emphasized that accountability should be taken by the prime minister to conduct the investigation, even though the former Felda chairman has served his sentence, after attending the 2026 World Islamic Exhibition & Trade Fair (Witex) at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.

Zahid suggested the investigation should not be limited to management audits, but should also include forensic audits to identify the causes of losses and responsible parties. He stressed that around 225,000 Felda explorers and their generations should be preserved, with an estimated 1.8 million individuals directly or indirectly involved currently.

Yesterday, Anwar Ibrahim said the government will soon disclose the special task force's report on Felda, including the legacy of issues inherited by the agency. Anwar stated that the government is now only waiting for the special task force's investigation findings before announcing the report. In other developments, Zahid said Malaysia needs to change its approach to Islamic tourism by offering a more comprehensive experience, not just promoting mosques and halal food.

He said the Muslim tourist segment is growing, including from Western Asia, and Malaysia has significant potential to attract this group throughout the year. Malaysia has considerable potential in this Islamic tourism. Not only during specific events like Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, or Ramadan, but throughout the year we can offer and promote various Islamic tourism packages, he said.

According to him, among the products that can be tapped are packages using cruise ships with various Islamic-themed activities throughout the journey, without touching or altering the beliefs of the tourists.