Govt focused on TH RCI follow-up, not new probes, says Zulkifli

The Malaysian government's main focus after declassifying the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the Tabung Haji (TH) is to ensure that its findings are acted upon thoroughly and comprehensively, according to Dr Zulkifli Hasan, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs). Hasan assured full cooperation with parliamentary bodies, such as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), but emphasized that the immediate priority is to address the RCI's recommendations, as per His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim's decree.

The Madani government, led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, vows to fulfill this trust with responsibility and accountability before Allah.

The RCI report, completed in July 2022, uncovered political interference, creative accounting, excessive hibah payouts, and subpar investment decisions within the pilgrims' fund between 2014 and 2020. The commission's six-member panel, comprising experts from judiciary, public administration, banking, Sharia, and auditing, was appointed by Sultan Abdullah Ri ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in July 2021.

This diverse composition, Zulkifli noted, guarantees the RCI's investigations are conducted independently, professionally, and with full integrity.

Public pressure for transparency over TH's management since 2019 has driven sustained demands for accountability. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi suggested the PAC establish a special body to investigate TH's management from 2017 onwards, aiming to clarify the fund's issues and improve public perception.

Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Razlan Rafii called for a new RCI to scrutinize TH's financial affairs, alleging that the previous report's findings were used to label the agency as entangled in a major financial scandal.