(May 11): Penang PAS today sent a memorandum to the state government, asking for an emergency motion on the Lembaga Tabung Haji-1Malaysia Development Berhad land deal to be tabled at the ongoing state legislative assembly sitting.

Penang PAS economic bureau chairman Zolkifly Md Lazim said the Tabung Haji issue was an important public matter, namely to Muslims, that must be discussed.

"The emergency motion can be tabled under Rule 30 of the House's standing order.

"The sitting can be postponed to allow a matter of public interest to be immediately discussed," he said before handing over the memorandum to Penang deputy chief minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.

Rashid said the matter will be discussed by the state first before deciding whether the emergency motion will be allowed.

A peaceful gathering is also being planned outside the state assembly building in George Town to object to the alleged misappropriation of power involving Tabung Haji and 1MDB.

Tabung Haji has been under fire over reports that it had purchased a plot of land from debt-ridden 1MDB for RM188.5 million.

Critics questioned whether the deal was a bid to bail out the troubled state-owned investment firm, and noted how several executives and board members of Tabung Haji also held positions in 1MDB.

Tabung Haji's deputy group managing director and deputy chief executive officer Datuk Johan Abdullah, who is also chairman of 1MDB subsidiary Edra Global, was reportedly the lead figure in all negotiations leading to the fund's purchase of the land, which is part of the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) project.

Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah is a Tabung Haji board member and also an 1MDB advisory board member, while Tan Sri Abdul Samad Alias, who is on the Tabung Haji investment panel, also sits on the 1MDB advisory board.

Tabung Haji group managing director and CEO Tan Sri Ismee Ismail sits on 1MDB’s board, but had reportedly stayed out of all the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim is the Baling member of Parliament and sits on the Umno Supreme Council, while Umno permanent chairman Tan Sri Badruddin Amiruddin, Umno deputy permanent chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Aziz and Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Rosni Sohar all sit on Tabung Haji’s board.

The controversy came to light last week when confidential documents were leaked on the deal by an anonymous blog.

Last Thursday, Johan lodged a police report over inaccurate data published in the blog called "The Benchmark", which alleged that Tabung Haji purchased two plots of land at 1MDB's TRX project for a total of RM772 million in cash, when in fact the pilgrim fund only bought a plot of land at a “discounted” price of RM188.5 million.

In the police report, Johan said the 67,954 sq ft land purchased is to be used to build service apartments and denied that Tabung Haji was in a process of procuring a Signature Tower, as alleged by the blog.

He said the investment was done in accordance with the relevant guidelines and had received proper approval.

The development of the service apartments will be undertaken by Tabung Haji Properties Sdn Bhd and was expected to yield profit for Tabung Haji in the future.

The anonymous blog had alleged that Tabung Haji purchased two plots of land using depositors' funds and bought the land at a far higher value than what 1MDB paid, which was denied by Tabung Haji.

According to the blog, 1MDB Real Estate Bhd obtained the land for the construction of TRX at RM64 per sq ft from the federal government.

Johan also stated in the report that the leak of the confidential documents does not prove that the proposal was approved, and was against the Tabung Haji Act 1995 and its policy.

1MDB has attracted controversy as it sits on a sizeable debt of around RM42 billion, and the government has admitted that the state-owned investment firm is facing cash-flow problems. – The Malaysian Insider