Kuala lumpur: The government is planning a special Dewan Rakyat sitting to debate the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), highlighting the importance of parliamentary scrutiny on the issue.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil stated that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said to coordinate with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul to schedule the special session. The third parliamentary session for the year is set to start in early October, but the government is aiming to address the matter promptly due to its significance.
Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil further commented on the Cabinet's recent decision to declassify the RCI report from the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972, making it available to the public. This move is part of the government's commitment to transparency and accountability.
During the Cabinet meeting, TH chairman and RCI member Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain briefed members on the inquiry's findings. Fahmi noted that the delay in releasing the report was due to TH management's focus on stabilizing the agency's financial health and implementing the RCI's recommendations.
He explained that when Rashid took over management two to three years ago, efforts were underway to adopt and execute the recommendations, which is evidenced by the implementation of 75 percent of the 25 recommendations. This recovery effort also led to the announcement of a 3.50 percent profit distribution rate for the previous year.
Fahmi added that following the declassification, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), serving as the secretariat, would make the report publicly available today.
In related developments, Fahmi visited the Malaysian National News Agency's (Bernama) Negeri Sembilan Bureau, which is currently operating as the agency's command center for the coverage of the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election.