Tabung Haji has implemented 76pc of RCI recommendations, Parliament told

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has implemented up to 76 per cent of the recommendations put forward by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the pilgrimage fund, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Zulkifli Hasan said TH has resolved 13 of the total recommendations under its direct responsibility, covering key operational and management areas, including overall governance improvements, financial reporting, investment and risk management, and decision-making processes.

“Among the specific actions taken based on the RCI’s findings is the full adoption of financial accounting standards in alignment with the commission’s recommendations,” he said during Question Time.

“Furthermore, since 2022, the announcement of profit distribution rates has been strictly tied to audited annual financial statements.”

Addressing issue areas surrounding excessive bonuses, forensic audits, and enforcement, the minister pointed to the RCI’s explicit recommendation to end the practice of paying overly high bonuses to staff, prompting the fund to restructure its compensation framework.

The RCI was formed by the first Pakatan Harapan administration following years of calls to investigate its finances, after allegations of mismanagement surfaced after many of the fund’s investments suffered losses.

The report was just declassified this year, with several top executives having been charged since.

Zulkifli said the amendment to the Tabung Haji Act 1995 will take into account the entire transformation based on the RCI’s recommendations, including codifying clear criteria and expertise of the board, restrictions on active politicians, and appointment processes.

The amendments would also entail the “refining” of Section 24 of the Tabung Haji Act 1995.

The minister said the proposed changes will take into account stakeholders’ input and focus on closing previously identified loopholes and weaknesses highlighted in the RCI report.

“The special committee has met three times and the technical committee five times. God willing, we will finalise it as soon as possible, and next year, we will do our best to execute the amendment to the Tabung Haji Act,” he said.