Kuala lumpur: Tomorrow's parliamentary debate on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) should focus on ensuring there is no political involvement or interference in the institution's administration, a business academic said.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Putra Business School MBA programme director Prof Dr Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff emphasized the importance of maintaining TH's leadership by professionals with integrity, free from personal or partisan interests. The RCI's findings highlighted issues such as losses, unjustified bonus payments, conflicts of interest, and loss-making investments, which should serve as lessons to strengthen TH's internal controls and corporate governance.
Ahmed Razman stressed the need for the management to remain professional, with no political appointments to the board of directors and no interference by any party for personal or partisan interests. He expressed hope that the parliamentary debate would address these issues, ensuring reform efforts are clearly and transparently presented to the public. He shared these views on Bernama TV's 'Apa Khabar Malaysia' programme, which discussed the recent RCI findings on Tabung Haji.
He also stated that the Dewan Rakyat debate should be conducted constructively and factually to restore public confidence, avoiding political polemics that could create unfounded doubts. If further action is needed against individuals identified during the RCI's investigation period, it should be conducted transparently and openly, to avoid perceptions of preferential treatment.
On public concerns over the RCI report, Ahmed Razman assured that depositors should not panic as their savings in TH are fully guaranteed by the government under the law, unlike the deposit guarantee limits applicable to commercial banks. He noted that TH's success in implementing more than 75 per cent of the RCI's recommendations for improvement shows that the Islamic fund management institution is on a sound path to recovery.
The special Dewan Rakyat sitting to debate the RCI report will commence tomorrow, starting with a briefing by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan, followed by a question-and-answer session and debate by members of parliament. The debate is expected to be concluded by Zulkifli and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.