The Tabung Haji RCI report should be made public to address concerns, strengthen trust and prevent future governance issues, experts say.
KUALA LUMPUR: Experts have called for the immediate release of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), saying it is necessary to establish the truth, protect depositors and improve the institution’s governance.
While supporting greater transparency, senior lecturer in political science at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Seremban, Dr Mazlan Che Soh, said the report should not become a tool for assigning blame before legal proceedings are completed or for pursuing short-term political interests.
“The public, particularly depositors, have a right to know the outcome of the inquiry because TH is not merely a financial institution but a trust institution for Muslims that manages savings for the haj pilgrimage.
“Transparency is essential to address the questions that remain, identify governance shortcomings and ensure such mistakes are not repeated,” he told Bernama today.
He said the government should release an executive summary, set out the RCI recommendations that have been acted upon and explain the next steps.
While acknowledging that the report’s release could influence the views of some voters, particularly Malay-Muslim voters and TH depositors, Mazlan said it would not necessarily lead to a significant shift in overall public support.
He said voters’ decisions were shaped by various factors, including the cost of living, the performance of state governments, candidates’ credibility, party loyalty and the strength of grassroots machinery.
Meanwhile, Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Dr Jamaie Hamil, said the TH issue had dragged on for too long, with improvements already made from the first Pakatan Harapan administration to the current MADANI Government.
Retired civil servant Wan Osman Hashim, 70, said in a video posted on TikTok that the government should act quickly to resolve the issue and ensure justice for the public.
“We want the government to resolve this matter quickly so that Tabung Haji does not suffer losses. The government must take action to ensure people can continue saving with Tabung Haji with sincerity.
“It is crucial to investigate any alleged wrongdoing involving Malaysians’ money,” he said in the one-minute-eight-second video, which was also shared by Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed confidence that the Cabinet would agree to the proposal to make the RCI report on Tabung Haji public after it is tabled for the Cabinet’s consideration.
