PKR Youth man accuses Akmal of moving goalpost on Tabung Haji RCI

PKR Youth information chief Danish Hairudin has accused Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh of changing the subject regarding the Tabung Haji (TH) royal commission of inquiry (RCI) report. Danish stated that Akmal was one of the most vocal proponents of making the RCI report public and holding responsible parties accountable for mismanaging TH funds. However, Danish claimed that Akmal has now started questioning the RCI's findings because they do not align with the political narrative he desires to promote.

Danish expressed his concern via a Facebook post, questioning whether everyone should follow Akmal and Umno's lead until they obtain the answer Umno desires. The PKR Youth representative responded to Akmal's defense of calls for a new RCI into TH's financial management, which has been primarily advocated by Perikatan Nasional and Umno. The RCI was established in 2021 and finalized its report in July 2022. The report was submitted to the king in August of the same year and became public on July 29 this year.

The conclusion of the RCI report revealed that TH's financial situation was severely impacted between 2014 and 2020 due to an overabundance of hibah commitments, dubious accounting practices, inadequate oversight, ambitious investment strategies, and increasing subsidy obligations. The commission found that TH had concealed its actual financial state for years, reporting a RM3.4 billion profit in 2017 when it should have documented a net loss of RM1.4 billion under appropriate accounting standards – a difference of nearly RM4.8 billion.

Danish also pointed out that the RCI was established prior to Anwar Ibrahim becoming prime minister in 2022. Therefore, if Akmal is dissatisfied with the RCI's findings, he should not attempt to shift the blame to the current government, Danish argued. Danish highlighted that the RCI's conclusions on creative accounting practices, governance weaknesses, and investment losses were being disregarded, questioning why Akmal and Umno have become silent on those issues while concentrating on the absence of named individuals.

Danish emphasized the importance of disclosing all relevant information and debating even uncomfortable matters that might challenge Umno's political narrative. He urged people to accept the truth in its entirety rather than continuing to search for the answer they prefer.