KUALA LUMPUR: A special Dewan Rakyat sitting to discuss the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Tabung Haji (TH) will be held on Aug 11 said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said, the sitting will begin at 10am and continue until the afternoon. He had discussed the matter with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul, who agreed to convene the special sitting.
“It will start at 10am and continue until the afternoon” he told reporters after launching Maybank’s new headquarters, Menara Merdeka Maybank, here Thursday 30/July.
The sitting will allow members of parliament to debate the findings and recommendations of the RCI report on TH.
Earlier, the cabinet agreed to declassify and release the RCI report, which examined TH’s management and operations between 2014 and 2020.
Meanwhile Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said was tasked with liaising with the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to determine the date of the special sitting.
The RCI found that TH faced financial weaknesses linked to high hibah payments, investment risks, accounting issues and governance shortcomings.
Among its findings, the commission said TH should have recorded a RM1.4 billion loss in 2017 instead of the RM3.4 billion profit reported in its financial statements after taking into account impairment losses and other adjustments.
The RCI also identified governance weaknesses, including broad ministerial powers over appointments, overlapping roles among directors and senior management, and concerns over political influence.
It recommended strengthening TH’s governance framework through clearer criteria for board appointments, limiting active politicians from holding board positions, and improving oversight mechanisms.
The commission also proposed separating the responsibilities of the minister responsible for religious affairs, who would oversee haj matters, and the finance minister, who would oversee financial management, funds and investments.
Other recommendations included conducting forensic audits into past investments, ensuring hibah payments are based on audited financial statements, strengthening audit oversight and improving the institution’s professional management.
The RCI maintained that TH should remain a single institution, saying its weaknesses could be addressed through governance and operational reforms rather than major structural changes.
