The Selangor branch of PKR Youth Wing (AMK) has urged UMNO to stop what it described as a “charade” surrounding the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Tabung Haji (TH), while calling on Mara chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki to resign immediately.
Selangor AMK chief Muhammad Iman Haziq Mohammad Hamizi said UMNO, as a component of the Federal Government, should respect the RCI’s findings and assist efforts to identify those responsible for alleged wrongdoing involving the Islamic pilgrim fund instead of attempting to evade accountability.
He said Asyraf Wajdi, who was part of the government during a period covered by the TH inquiry, should be prepared to address questions concerning his political responsibility, role and knowledge of the matters investigated.
“The RCI mentioned suspicious transactions, information being concealed, weaknesses in investment decision-making processes and governance failures. It also recommended a forensic audit of several problematic investments,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Muhammad Iman Haziq said Asyraf Wajdi should therefore take responsibility and set a new standard by becoming the first UMNO leader to be asked to step aside, particularly with further RCIs involving agencies such as Felda and Mara expected to attract scrutiny.
His remarks followed criticism from Jelutong MP RSN Rayer, who previously accused UMNO of staging a “charade” over the TH RCI and questioned whether the exercise was intended to shield those responsible from potential legal action.
Rayer also questioned the purpose of a public forum featuring former Auditor-General Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad to discuss the RCI findings after the report had already been tabled and debated in Parliament.
He argued that the forum raised questions over how UMNO was handling an issue that should instead proceed through the appropriate legal and institutional processes.
The latest call also follows a recent appeal by AMK executive committee member Mohd Shafiq Iqram Abdullah for Asyraf Wajdi to be the first UMNO leader to be temporarily removed from his position amid investigations linked to the TH RCI.
Mohd Shafiq Iqram said such a move should be considered to ensure the investigation could proceed without perceptions of interference or a conflict of interest.
The calls come as the findings of the TH RCI continue to fuel political debate, particularly over alleged governance weaknesses, questionable investments and accountability within the institution.
