Rayer accuses Umno of Tabung Haji ‘sandiwara’

Penangite RSN Rayer has castigated Umno for staging a political theatre over the Tabung Haji (TH) royal commission of inquiry (RCI), questioning whether the move aims to shield those responsible for alleged mismanagement from facing legal consequences. In a Facebook post, Rayer urged the forum on Tuesday to address how political parties, especially Umno, handle matters that should follow due process and the law.

Rayer emphasized that the RCI is not a political shield but an institutional tool to establish facts, hold individuals accountable, and make evidence-based findings. He warned that attempts to politicize the RCI's proceedings or conclusions risk eroding public trust in the very institutions designed to protect our democracy.

Rayer called on Umno to exercise restraint, stating that political parties must refrain from wielding political pressure or public campaigns to sway matters falling under the executive, legislature, and judiciary. He further argued that the issue transcends Umno's stance on the TH RCI, questioning whether the party can prioritize institutional integrity, accountability, and public interest over partisan considerations.

He underscored the need to respect the process, particularly following the call by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim for the RCI's findings to be thoroughly investigated and perpetrators prosecuted. Madinah Mohamad, the national audit department's auditor, defended the TH audit, asserting that the RM4.8 billion discrepancy between her findings and a separate PricewaterhouseCoopers review does not validate an audit failure. She also stated that no evidence of theft or misappropriation surfaced during her audit of TH.