KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Dewan Rakyat sitting to deliberate on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji's management and operations began at 10am Tuesday (Aug 11).
As the bell rang, Members of Parliament (MPs) began entering the chamber to attend the tabling of the report by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan.
According to the Dewan Rakyat Order Paper, the Special Sitting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament will also focus on the recovery plan and follow-up measures taken to strengthen Tabung Haji's financial position.
Following the tabling of the report, the sitting, which will proceed without a recess, will continue with questions and debate by MPs.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil previously said at least 40 MPs had expressed interest in taking part in the debate.
The winding-up session is scheduled to be delivered jointly by Dr Zulkifli and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.
The special sitting is being held in accordance with Standing Order 11(3) of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat, which allows a sitting to be convened during an adjournment if it involves an urgent matter of public importance.
The sitting follows the publication of the 211-page full RCI report, which identified various weaknesses in TH's governance and operations from 2014 to 2020, including issues involving political interference.
The RCI findings, released publicly on July 29, also identified several contributing factors to the institution's financial crisis, including creative accounting practices and an increase in Haj Financial Assistance (HAFIS) liabilities. – Bernama
