This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on December 4, 2018
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Lembaga Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim has described police reports lodged against him by the pilgrims’ fund as “malicious” and meant to “humiliate” him.
Speaking to reporters outside Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Abdul Azeez said Tabung Haji could have conducted an internal inquiry before lodging the report, which alleged that over RM22 million under Tabung Haji’s purview had been misused, including for political purposes.
“I don’t understand the reason why Tabung Haji did not use existing standards of procedure. I am surprised … it would have been more correct for Tabung Haji to call me up for my statement. An inquiry could be conducted,” Abdul Azeez said.
Abdul Azeez was implicated in one of two police reports lodged by Tabung Haji last Friday, alongside former chief executive officers Tan Sri Ismee Ismail and Datuk Seri Johan Abdullah.
Also implicated in the reports were Tabung Haji’s chief operating officer Datuk Adi Azuan, chief financial officer Datuk Rozaida Omar, legal adviser Hazlina Mohd Khalid, and senior general manager for corporate services and real estate Rifina Md Ariff.
The police report alleged that RM22.12 million from Yayasan Tabung Haji (YTH) — a foundation for the underprivileged formed in 2016 — was disbursed for activities with political inclinations under a programme in 2017.
Abdul Azeez, alongside Ismee, Johan, Adi and Rozaida, were then trustees for YTH.
Tabung Haji said it had contributed RM7 million to the programme — to which Abdul Azeez concurred, and explained as being sourced from profit gained from Tabung Haji’s business investment.
“[But] the rest came from various sources,” Abdul Azeez said. “None of it came from [Tabung Haji’s] depositors ... we cannot withdraw the money from them.
“[The rest] included monies from Umno, corporate companies that did not have business with Tabung Haji, as well as monies from the federal government at that time,” he said, adding the then federal government had given RM4 million.
The second police report lodged was against Ismee, Hazlina and Rifina, and related to misrepresentation and the withholding of material information involving Tabung Haji’s 2012 sale of a 95% stake in PT TH Indo Plantations held by its subsidiaries TH Indopalms Sdn Bhd and TH Indo Industries Sdn Bhd.
The 95% stake was sold to PT Borneo Pacific for US$910 million. TH Indo Plantations owns a total of 83,000ha of palm oil estates in Indonesia.
Abdul Azeez is among Umno leaders who have been probed and arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on allegations of graft. He was last summoned by the MACC on Nov 27 to assist in an investigation involving a contractor’s company.
Depositors’ savings are safe, says CEO
Separately, Tabung Haji group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zukri Samat told Bernama that depositors’ savings with the pilgrims’ fund are safe.
He also said the police reports had not impacted Tabung Haji’s operations.
“It is business as usual for us. Our depositors should trust that Tabung Haji will ensure their deposits are secure,” he added.
The reports lodged last Friday were the first following internal investigation into past transactions spearheaded by the new management since July 2018.