KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) president Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin called for the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) findings on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) to form the basis for comprehensive reform of the institution.
Warning that the report must not merely end up gathering dust, he said the issue touches on trust, integrity, and accountability concerning the savings of nearly 10 million Muslims. It cannot be dismissed as ordinary management weaknesses.
In this regard, he expressed support for strengthening the Tabung Haji Act 1995 (Act 535), which includes introducing leadership eligibility criteria, preventing the appointment of active politicians to the TH Board, and imposing penalties for misreporting financial statements.
"TH does not belong to the government or the opposition. It is a trust held for Malaysian Muslims and should not be used as a weapon in partisan political battles. Every finding must be assessed based on facts, evidence, the law, and the principles of justice," he said in a statement today.
Ahmad Fahmi added that ABIM welcomes the follow-up investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and hoped that the process will be conducted thoroughly and transparently, regardless of the background of any party involved.
Meanwhile, he expressed disappointment over the action of opposition Members of Parliament who walked out of the Dewan Rakyat today and did not take part in the debate on the RCI report on TH.
He said that if there are doubts over the RCI findings or the government's explanations, Parliament is the best forum for such matters to be questioned and challenged openly.
"Effective checks and balances require presence, argumentation, and the courage to face facts... True unity lies in the courage to defend institutions of the people, uphold the truth, and ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated," he said.
The RCI report on the management and operations of TH for the period 2014 to 2020 was debated in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The special sitting enabled MPs to scrutinise the 211-page report, which was released on July 29 following the government's decision to make the findings public.
-- BERNAMA