Tabung Haji: Why the sudden 'extraordinary courage'?

 

 The investigations have begun and are proceeding at breakneck speed. Arrests are following almost as quickly, while the headlines are becoming increasingly earth-shattering. But no one seems to be answering a simple question: Why now?

The cabinet of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s backdoor government decided as early as August 2020 to establish a royal commission of inquiry into Tabung Haji’s affairs. The commission was established the following July.

The report was presented to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet in December 2022, but was withheld to prevent public alarm.

So, for over 40 months, those who allegedly dipped their fingers in the till, those who paid themselves excessive bonuses, those who approved the investments – the beneficiaries of the creative accounting practices were allowed to roam free and enjoy the fruits of their ill-gotten gains.

Defending the delay, Anwar said the government did not release the report earlier because doing so at the time could have triggered a crisis of confidence that might have led to the institution’s collapse.

But for former economy minister Rafizi Ramli, this was unacceptable. He accused Anwar of delaying the release to keep Umno onside, alleging that the findings would expose the party’s failed stewardship of the pilgrimage fund.

Others questioned the timing of the release close to the Negeri Sembilan state election, leading some to suggest that the entire exercise was politically motivated.

Some of the shenanigans are in the public domain. In November 2023, Nor Badli Munawir Alias Lafti, former CEO of Tabung Haji unit TH Heavy Engineering Bhd, was sentenced to five years’ jail for criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to RM1.57 million and RM1.1 million, respectively. He was charged more than nine years ago, in January 2017.

This was not the only bad news. There were also questions asked when Tabung Haji bought into TH Heavy Engineering, which was known as Ramunia Holdings Bhd, in 2012. It bought shares in the open market and took control of the company before running it to the ground.

The company fell into the cash-strapped Practice Note 17 category not once but twice. It was disposed of to Minister of Finance Inc-controlled Urusharta Jamaah Sdn Bhd and eventually delisted.

Urusharta Jamaah acquired Tabung Haji’s non-performing assets at end-2018, paying RM19.9 billion - a hefty premium of RM9.9 billion - for assets worth RM10 billion. The assets included stakes in 106 listed companies; one unlisted plantation counter; 29 properties, including four hotels; and a plot of land at TRX.

Was MACC aware of the findings?

If releasing the RCI report earlier risked destabilising Tabung Haji, couldn’t the report - or relevant excerpts - be quietly handed to the MACC and other enforcement agencies so that those responsible could be investigated?

They were, if former Tabung Haji chairperson Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim is to be believed. The Star quoted him as saying that in 2021, then-MACC chief Azam Baki issued an official letter stating no abuse of power or misappropriation had been found.

Former MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki

“I was already cleared by the then-MACC chief commissioner in 2021. If the media wants to see proof, I can share the official letter which was given to me,” he said.

Azeez also said he spoke to the police two weeks ago, and claimed he was told the case file had been completed and was only awaiting a “no further action” directive.

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So, did MACC read the report? On what basis were its investigations conducted and why did it choose to exonerate Azeez?

But Azam is a man whom Anwar last May described as having shown “extraordinary courage” in tackling high-level corruption.

“I believe, having observed the MACC over the decades, this is the first time they have dared to raid all the big bosses.

The MACC’s efforts, he said, will extend to high-profile individuals with honorific titles, and this requires political will and public support to maintain momentum.

So, is it reasonable to assume that the political will and public support arrived only last week, at the tail-end of an election campaign?

Reports must lead to action

Delays, excuses, and political calculations cannot be allowed to bury the truth. Every report - whether from an RCI, the auditor-general or MACC - must trigger action. It must be investigated and, where warranted, enforced without fear or favour.

Otherwise, these reports become little more than expensive paperwork: shielding the guilty while eroding public trust.

The Tabung Haji saga shows how withholding findings in the name of “stability” can breed impunity. For over three years, those implicated were free to go about their lives while depositors were kept in the dark.

Justice delayed is justice denied. If enforcement agencies could clear individuals without even reviewing the RCI’s findings, then the system itself is complicit.

Selective accountability, timed for political convenience, is no way to fight corruption. Reports must trigger investigations when they are produced, not be pulled off the shelf when political circumstances become convenient.

The public deserves answers, not excuses. Until every investigative report is treated as a call to action, corruption will remain a recurring headline rather than a resolved crime - and creative accounting will continue to find creative ways to flourish. - Mkini

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R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who strives to uphold the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.