JELEBU: Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim is prepared to be probed again following allegations of fraud and abuse of power in the losses incurred by Lembaga Tabung Haji, as revealed in a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report.
The former Tabung Haji chairman said he had already been probed and cleared over the matter by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
"I was already cleared by the then-MACC chief commissioner (Tan Sri Azam Baki) in 2021.
"If the media wants to see proof, I can share the official letter which was given to me," he said when met while campaigning for Barisan Nasional's Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias in Simpang Pertang near here.
Abdul Azeez said he was also probed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2018.
"If I had done anything wrong, Dr Mahathir would have sent me to jail.
"The probe was thorough, and I was kept in a lockup for almost two weeks," he said, adding that the police had also questioned him many times over the matter.
On Wednesday (July 29), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Cabinet, which was briefed by the RCI, was told that the fund incurred losses amounting to RM10bil arising from regulatory breaches, poor investment decisions and other governance issues dating back to 2014.
He said that Bank Negara had written to Tabung Haji in 2014 warning of regulatory breaches, but the concerns were not addressed.
Meanwhile, Abdul Azeez said he had contacted the police commercial crime department about two weeks ago and was told that they were waiting for the "no further action" order against him.
Elaborating, he said when the allegations of wrongdoings were first made, he had pleaded with Dr Mahathir, the then deputy prime minister Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Rawa to set up an RCI to probe the claims.
He claimed to have again pleaded with former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to do the same, but was not entertained.
"When Umno vice president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri was made PM, I went to see him and told him that we must set up an RCI to probe the allegations.
"Finally, it was an Umno PM who actually ordered the RCI to be set up," he said.
Abdul Azeez also said he was in no position to commit any wrongdoing as he was merely a chairman and not the executive chairman of the fund.
"I never got involved in their day-to-day business affairs.
"I would only go there once a month as the senior management would table some working papers for discussion to a team of about 10 individuals.
"There would also be representatives from the investment panel and risk management who would share their expertise on whatever was discussed," he said.
Abdul Azeez also questioned why the RCI report was only declassified in the run-up to the Negri Sembilan election, which will be held on Aug 1.
"It was clearly stated that the report, which was completed in 2022, can be made public.
"Since it has been disclosed, I hope the public and depositors will go through it thoroughly so that they will know what actually happened," he said.
Abdul Azeez said he would give his fullest cooperation if called in by investigators again.
"If I am found guilty, I am prepared to go to jail," he added.
