Ex-auditor-general’s defence of Tabung Haji audit questioned

Former auditor-general Madinah Mohamad's assertion that Tabung Haji's 2017 auditors found no proof of theft is being scrutinised in light of the royal commission of inquiry's (RCI) core criticisms. Former Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Malaysia advisor, Khalid Ahmad, has raised questions about potential omissions in the audit report.

He queried whether Madinah had concealed key information, which could not be addressed post-publication. Khalid emphasised that auditors must include all concerns within the report when issuing their opinion. However, Madinah had complied with the RCI's request by making herself available for testimony, which they accepted without reservations.

The RCI, on the other hand, criticised the auditors for considering depositor confidence when drafting the audit opinion. The RCI concluded that Tabung Haji should not have received a clean audit certificate for 2017, as the auditors had not fully adhered to international auditing standards. Despite this, Madinah claimed she could have provided further insights had she been called to testify, a claim Khalid found odd, given the timeframe of nearly a decade.