RCI report proves TH hibah and haj subsidy claims against me were baseless - Mujahid
The Amanah deputy president said he was grateful that the report was finally made accessible to the public.
SHAH ALAM - Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, has welcomed the public release of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Tabung Haji, saying it proves that various allegations and accusations made against him while he led the ministry were untrue.
The Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy president said he was grateful that the report was finally made accessible to the public, allowing the actual circumstances surrounding the recovery and restructuring process of Tabung Haji during his tenure from 2018 to 2020 to be clarified.
He said one of the accusations frequently levelled against him at the time was that he had allegedly pawned Islamic assets to non-Muslims, but the RCI report proved that the claim was false and baseless.
"They also accused me of being a minister who issued the lowest hibah (returns), without understanding that before this, during the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration, Tabung Haji suffered major losses because it issued hibah that did not comply with regulations for political interests, as stated in the report.
"As a result of the recovery efforts we carried out, the payment of compliant hibah increased from as low as 1.25 per cent during the early stages of the recovery process to 3.5 per cent today. This is the result of the success of the 2018-2020 recovery efforts," he said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Mujahid also expressed gratitude that the RCI report recognised the Tabung Haji Recovery and Restructuring Plan launched in 2018 as the best measure to save the institution from a financial crisis involving losses of about RM10 billion.
According to him, the report also acknowledged that the targeted haj subsidy approach, which had faced heavy criticism at the time, was necessary to ensure Tabung Haji’s financial sustainability.
"I was attacked because of this approach, even though it was the very recommendation made by the Tabung Haji RCI report to save Tabung Haji’s critical financial position," he said.
He also expressed appreciation to the Tabung Haji management team at the time, led by chairman Tan Sri Mohd Nor Yusof and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Zukri Samat, as well as the entire team involved in the restructuring efforts.
Mujahid added that the RCI report confirmed he inherited Tabung Haji in a deficit position of about RM10 billion and that without recovery measures, the institution would have faced greater financial difficulties that could have affected the welfare of pilgrims.
"Allah hears the pleas and prayers of those who became victims of slander and will defend His servants," he added.
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