There was no audit evidence indicating theft or misconduct in the management of Tabung Haji during the tenure of former Auditor-General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad, she said.
Madinah said the National Audit Department had always conducted audits based on established financial standards and verified evidence before issuing any audit statements or certificates.
“During my time as Auditor-General, I did not see any such evidence as alleged.
“Be assured that if my team and I had found such evidence, I would not only have kept it from being disclosed, I would have highlighted it and reported it to the relevant authorities,” she said.
She was responding to a question from Veteran UMNO Malaysia chairman Datuk Haji Othman Desa about allegations of theft or apparent misconduct at the pilgrimage fund institution during the Musyawarah Nasional programme, titled “Reality And Perception: Do Not Politicise Tabung Haji”, at Premiera Hotel Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Also attending the programme were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, Mara chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.
Official records from the National Audit Department show that Madinah served as Auditor-General from Feb 23, 2017, to Feb 22, 2019.
Addressing the term “sakau”, which has been repeatedly used by certain quarters when discussing alleged financial misconduct, Madinah said her approach had always been guided by facts and solid evidence.
“Does the audit certificate state that there was misconduct or theft? It does not. I do not understand what ‘sakau’ means. I stand by the facts and evidence,” she said.
The special forum also featured former Treasury secretary-general and Tabung Haji board member Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, as well as Universiti Malaya Academy of Islamic Studies Department of Shariah and Economics head and Negeri Sembilan Fatwa Council member Dr Mohd Shahid Mohd Noh.
The forum was organised to provide greater clarity based on facts and the actual circumstances surrounding Tabung Haji, while addressing concerns over the institution being used as a subject of political propaganda.
During the question-and-answer session, UMNO Shah Alam division chief Datuk Azhari Shari asked about mechanisms for independent oversight and the legal and governmental guarantees in place to safeguard depositors’ savings.
Madinah said she was no longer the appropriate person to address technical matters concerning current account monitoring and guarantees, as she had retired from the position in 2019.
However, she expressed her personal view that the National Audit Department, as a Supreme Audit Institution, should be given full independence by being placed under Parliament instead of the Prime Minister’s Department.
She said such an arrangement would enable the Auditor-General to provide audit opinions transparently and without fear or bias.
“During my tenure as Auditor-General, I had already recommended to the Cabinet that the National Audit Department be placed under Parliament and be answerable to Parliament, rather than the Prime Minister’s Department, to safeguard the independence of the Supreme Audit Institution.
“However, after I was no longer Auditor-General, I believe there was no further follow-up on the recommendation,” she said.
