The government’s decision to potentially release the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Tabung Haji is unlikely to influence voter sentiment in the Negri Sembilan state election on Aug 1, said Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid said the issue should be handled professionally and should not be turned into a political matter during the election campaign.
“I hope this issue will not be politicised during the Negri Sembilan election. It should be viewed professionally.
“Any audit or investigation report should be used to find solutions, rather than making the situation worse,” he said after attending the Armed Forces Southern Zone Family Day at Kem Syed Sirajuddin, Gemas.
The Deputy Prime Minister said he supported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s intention to make the report public and remove its classification under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
He said the matter was expected to be discussed at the Cabinet meeting next Wednesday to determine whether the findings could be released.
“As BN chairman, and with our eight ministers present at every Cabinet meeting, we support the move if the purpose is to make the RCI report accessible to the public.
“The report should be declassified from the Official Secrets Act,” he said.
Zahid stressed that no individual should be protected from action if their name was mentioned in the findings.
He said the RCI was established to investigate the matter and its findings should be made available transparently, while any further action should follow the appropriate legal process through relevant enforcement agencies.
Earlier, Anwar said the government may release the final Tabung Haji RCI report, adding that it could be made public immediately if Cabinet approval was not required, or after the Cabinet meeting next Wednesday.
