The Malaysian Insight

THE debate in parliament got heated today after the opposition wanted a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to look into pilgrims fund Tabung Haji’s financial troubles.

Annuar Musa (Ketereh-BN) suggested the RCI as a way to determine if there had been “manipulative accounting” of the troubled fund. 

However, Islamic Affairs Minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa said manipulative accounting had occurred during the Barisan Nasional era. 

“The truth is the financial problems we inherited were caused by the  previous Haj fund management under the previous government,” he said.

Annuar claimed the public was concerned and suspicious about the way the pilgrims fund was being managed.

Mujahid said the people were not concerned about TH.

“Those concerns are the concerns of the opposition. Those who manipulated TH are not from this government,” he declared.

Mujahid  told the house, Tabung Haji operational costs in the first quarter of 2019 had dropped to RM204 million, compared to RM262 million over the same period the previous year.

Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) said this statement did not take into account how many pilgrims TH  will handle this year compared with last year.

Mujahid did not reply to this and this lead to taunts from the opposition benches.

Former Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (BN-Baling) then asked if anyone could prove if he had stolen any money from the fund.

“Are you afraid of setting up an RCI? 

“If you are afraid, don’t be a minister,” he shouted.

The commotion ended when the speaker ordered the next MP to ask his question. – July 1, 2019.