Mass walkout shows opposition not serious about TH RCI issue, Zaliha says

KUALA LUMPUR – The mass walkout by opposition members of parliament during Tuesday's special Dewan Rakyat sitting to debate the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report into Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has been questioned by Sekijang Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

She described the move as deeply disappointing, given that the opposition had previously been vocal in championing issues related to Islam and the interests of the Muslim community.

She said the special sitting should have been an opportunity for all members of parliament to scrutinise, question, challenge and dispute the RCI's findings based on facts.

"All this while they've spoken as if they were the staunchest defenders of Islam and the interests of the Muslim community.

"Today, when Parliament's doors were opened for them to ask questions, challenge, dispute and debate every RCI finding, they chose to walk out," she said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The Kelab Penyokong Kerajaan Madani chairman said if there were RCI findings the opposition disagreed with, the matter should have been raised through debate in the Dewan Rakyat.

"If there are RCI findings they disagree with, stand up and fight with facts. If there are government decisions they want to question, ask in the Dewan.

"If there are parties they believe need defending, defend them with argument," Dr Zaliha explained.

She also questioned the opposition's position of speaking about transparency, trust, Islam and the community's interests outside the Dewan, yet choosing to walk out when given the chance to confront the report's findings.

"So I want to ask, who actually doesn't want the Tabung Haji issue debated?" she said.

According to Dr Zaliha, the mass walkout was even more disappointing given that the debate touched on the management of and trust placed in depositors' funds at Tabung Haji.

"This isn't a small issue, and it isn't a space for a political stunt," she said.

She stressed that if the opposition were truly serious about defending the interests of the Muslim community, they should have remained in the Dewan, scrutinised the report and debated every disputed matter.

"When they themselves chose to walk out, the people surely have the right to ask what the opposition actually wants," she said.

Tuesday's special Dewan Rakyat sitting was held to debate the TH RCI report, which the government had earlier declassified to allow its contents to be made public.

The RCI was set up to investigate the management, operations and matters relating to Tabung Haji's assets, including issues raised over the institution's management.