PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli said former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s administration had allegedly used PAS to “purify” the image of Lembaga Tabung Haji before the 14th general election (GE14).
He claimed that at the time, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was made to believe that PAS could become a ‘kingmaker’ by playing nice with Umno and Najib.
Thus, Rafizi said, when he first brought up allegations of Tabung Haji’s mismanagement, Najib’s administration used PAS to purify the fund’s image.
In a statement today, Rafizi said that prior to the May 9 election, a PAS delegation had attended a briefing at Tabung Haji and had subsequently declared that the party was satisfied with the fund’s financial management.
This, Rafizi claimed, had indirectly sent the message that he was merely making up stories about the fund.
Rafizi had previously been charged with criminal defamation in 2016 for posting an article titled ‘An analysis of Tabung Haji’s finances 2009-2015 (Analisa Kewangan Tabung Haji2009-2015)’ on Facebook.
He had claimed that Tabung Haji faced an RM3 billion shortfall in assets compared to deposits.
On Dec 10 last year, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa confirmed reports that the Islamic pilgrimage fund had an RM4.1 billion deficit in terms of assets as of 2017, but had nevertheless continued to pay out dividends, in contravention of the law.
“So when proof started coming out that what I exposed was true, PAS was trapped.
“If they agreed (with me about Tabung Haji’s scandals), then the PAS president would be embarrassed because they had previously been the panel which ‘purified’ (menyucikan) the mismanagement at Tabung Haji,” Rafizi said.
As a result of this alleged failed political strategy, he said, Hadi had now been forced to politicise the Tabung Haji issue and play up racial sentiment.
This was in response to Hadi’s remarks at a dialogue session with Malaysians in London on Dec 27, where the PAS president said the Tabung Haji issue was allegedly being used to fuel the hidden agenda of certain parties to damage the image of Islam.
As an Islamist party, PAS should be the most worried about any mismanagement of Lembaga Tabung Haji, Rafizi added.
“As the president of a party that claims to protect Islam, actually it is PAS who should be the most worried if there is any mismanagement in Tabung Haji.
“Actually, it should be him (Hadi) who steps forward to examine Tabung Haji’s every step, so that the institution becomes the best and most respected Islamic financial fund in the world,” Rafizi said.
– Malaysiakini