MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki says he has no issue stepping aside if his services are no longer required, following calls for him to be given a break from the position.
He said the chairmanship of the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) was never a position he sought for himself, but an entrusted responsibility given by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
Asyraf Wajdi stressed that the position does not belong to him and that he would continue carrying out his duties to the best of his ability for as long as he remains MARA chairman.
However, he said he would accept any decision to remove him, describing his position as a responsibility rather than something he personally owned.
The issue arose last week after a delegate at the 2026 Keadilan National Congress urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to consider replacing Asyraf Wajdi.
The call was linked to his previous role as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) during the period when the management of Lembaga Tabung Haji was investigated by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI).
Responding to the matter, Asyraf Wajdi reiterated that he had no authority to interfere in Tabung Haji’s administration, management or agreements while serving as deputy minister.
He said his name was also not mentioned in the RCI, stressing that the Federal Constitution and the Tabung Haji Act do not grant a deputy minister such powers.
Meanwhile, speaking about the MARA Prihatin Jejak Aspirasi UPTM @ Pos Kemar programme, Asyraf Wajdi expressed hope that more than 5,000 Orang Asli residents in Pos Kemar would benefit from MARA’s initiatives, particularly in education and socio-economic development.
