Zahid chairs BN briefing on Tabung Haji RCI report, PN leaders also attend

 

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani was among the Barisan Nasional leaders seen attending a briefing on the declassified Royal Commission of Inquiry report on Lembaga Tabung Haji. PIC BY NSTP/SAIFULLIZAN TAMADI

KUALA LUMPUR: Senior Barisan Nasional leaders attended a closed-door special briefing at Umno headquarters here on the declassified Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH).

BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi chaired the two-hour session, which began at 5pm, with leaders seen leaving the premises around 7pm.

Those who attended the briefing included BN leaders such as Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Negri Sembilan Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, as well as Umno Supreme Council members Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad.

Also seen attending the briefing were MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, who served as minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) from 2009 to 2018.

Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Mohamad Alamin declined to elaborate on the briefing when approached by reporters as he was leaving.

"Wait for tomorrow," he said, possibly referring to the special Dewan Rakyat sitting tomorrow, when the report will be tabled and debated.

The briefing was also attended by Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan and Pas members of Parliament, including Jerlun MP Abdul Ghani Ahmad and Pengkalan Chepa MP Dr Ahmad Marzuk Shaary.

On July 29, the Cabinet agreed to declassify and release the 252-page RCI report into TH's management between 2014 and 2020.

The RCI's findings cover the period when TH operated under the BN government led by then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak until 2018, the Pakatan Harapan government led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad until 2020 and the PN government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The commission found that the haj fund board had reported a RM3.4 billion profit for 2017 when it should have recorded a RM1.4 billion net loss.

The report also said international consulting firm Roland Berger had flagged in 2017 that TH had been running down its reserves to pay hibah in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

The RCI traced the roots of TH's financial problems to political interference in board appointments, unsustainable hibah payouts and the National Audit Department softening its findings over concerns about depositors' confidence in TH.

In response to the report, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained five people, while police have opened five commercial crime investigation files and the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) is actively investigating those identified in the report. - NST