MPs question delay in making Tabung Haji RCI report public

 

Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PH-Balik Pulau), in his speech, said the public had the right to know why the TH RCI report was not disclosed earlier and who was responsible. COURTESY PIC

KUALA LUMPUR: Several MPs have questioned why the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) was not made public sooner, with its findings only released almost four years after the report was completed.

The questions were raised amid concerns that the delay could have affected investigations, enforcement action and efforts to recover assets belonging to the institution.

Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PH-Balik Pulau), in his speech, said the public had the right to know why the TH RCI report was not disclosed earlier and who was responsible.

"Besides the contents of the report itself, we also need to ask why the RCI findings were only made public almost four years after they were completed.

"The final report was submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Aug 30, 2022, but was only made public last July.

"I urge the minister concerned to explain why its disclosure was delayed, who made the decision and whether the delay affected investigations, enforcement action and efforts to recover the assets," he said during the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat to debate the RCI report on TH today.

Muhammad Bakhtiar added that ongoing efforts to rehabilitate TH should not be used as a reason to delay accountability to the public.

"When it was made public (the TH RCI report), only then did we see arrests and investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and police," he said.

Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin) also sought an explanation from the government over why the report had not been made public sooner.

He said accurate facts needed to be provided, given the various perceptions surrounding TH's performance, particularly amid political clashes.

"For example, the black episode in January and February 2016 should serve as a lesson. Among its effects was an unusual and sudden surge in withdrawals by depositors, amounting to RM41 million on Feb 10, followed by RM49.8 million on Feb 11 and RM27.9 million on Feb 12.

"As a result, 3,954 depositors closed their accounts and 3,105 depositors lost their eligibility for the haj cash assistance. The fact is that political clashes affected TH's position that year," he said.

The Dewan Rakyat convened for a one-day special sitting to discuss the RCI report, with proceedings beginning at 10am with Zulkifli's briefing, followed by a question-and-debate session involving MPs.

The 211-page RCI report revealed governance weaknesses, including political interference in management and the distribution of profits without adequately accounting for depreciation and declines in investment fair value.

It also found that TH should have recorded a net loss of RM1.4 billion in 2017, instead of the reported RM3.4 billion profit, had Malaysian Financial Reporting Standards (MFRS) been fully applied. - NST