SEREMBAN: The date for the special Dewan Rakyat sitting to debate the Tabung Haji Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report now rests with the Speaker, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said the Cabinet had approved the special sitting, and he had pushed for it to be convened as early as possible.
"The special sitting has been agreed to, but the date requires the agreement of the Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
"I have proposed that it be held as soon as possible, so that there is time for the Dewan Rakyat to scrutinise, hear further explanations and debate the matter openly," he told reporters after a Temu Anwar programme in Paroi on Wednesday (July 29).
The Cabinet earlier declassified the RCI report, which covers Tabung Haji's management between 2014 and 2020.
Anwar said the Cabinet's position was to open the findings up fully.
"The Cabinet's decision is to open it up transparently, to investigate, right down to the roots," he said, adding that questions had also been raised over 2018 and 2019, and over the recovery measures taken by Tabung Haji under its current management, led by chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain.
He said early warnings by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in 2017 over the fund had been ignored, and this was what led to the heavy losses — details he said would be borne out in the full report.
"Let the people judge. For me, this is not about digging up old stories, but a lesson — so that we do not repeat work that ruins and betrays trust," he said.
Earlier, when speaking to students at event, said the Cabinet was briefed that RM10bil of losses was estimated by Tabung Haji, arising from regulatory breaches, poor investment decisions and other governance issues dating back to 2014.
The RCI was established to probe Tabung Haji’s management and governance between 2014 and 2020, following concerns over its financial position and compliance with statutory requirement.
