Zahid wants PAC to probe TH, Takiyuddin backs new RCI

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi suggested that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should investigate the financial management of Tabung Haji (TH), rather than a new Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI). Zahid, who also serves as Umno president, argued that the PAC has the necessary authority to conduct such an investigation within its mandate and responsibilities. He shared his views after attending a forum titled "Realiti dan Persepsi: Jangan Mempolitikkan Tabung Haji" in Kuala Lumpur.

Zahid pointed out that the recent findings of the RCI did not directly implicate any individual, emphasizing the importance of a thorough investigation to substantiate any allegations of mismanagement or misappropriation of funds. Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, who also attended the forum, expressed his agreement with either setting up a new RCI or referring the case to the PAC.

He added that additional investigation was required to examine the period after the RCI's coverage and clarify discrepancies in the findings related to TH's management. Takiyuddin, who is also PAS secretary-general, supported the proposal for a new RCI to investigate TH's situation from 2018 until the present.