Umno heavyweight charged in Malaysian haj fund scandal as party eyes comeback
Former Malaysian pilgrimage fund chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to abusing his position to secure a lucrative corporate post and influence a 193.5 million ringgit (US$47.5 million) investment by the fund. Azeez, 60, a veteran Umno Supreme Council member, is the highest-profile politician to be charged so far in the fallout from a royal inquiry into the state-run…
Former Malaysian Umno heavyweight Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, who served as the chairman of the pilgrimage fund Tabung Haji, has pleaded not guilty to charges of abusing his position for personal gain and influencing a significant investment by the fund. Azeez, a high-ranking member of the ruling party, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act.
The corruption case has emerged as part of a royal inquiry into the fund's management from 2014 to 2020, which revealed instances of political interference, governance failures, and questionable investments. The case comes as the party prepares to hold its annual congress, following recent state-election gains.
Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
