The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained two individuals as part of a new investigation into the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) regarding Lembaga Tabung Haji. The arrests, which took place on Monday, follow the recent declassification and public release of the RCI report on July 29, which detailed governance and financial concerns at the pilgrimage fund between 2014 and 2020. Both suspects, who are in their 50s, were apprehended at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya after arriving to provide statements.
The first suspect, a design firm director, is accused of providing approximately RM300,000 in home renovation services to a former chief operating officer of a statutory body. Authorities allege these renovations were kickbacks intended to secure lucrative projects between 2014 and 2018. The second suspect, a former estate manager for a rubber seedling supplier, is under investigation for the alleged misappropriation of contracts worth RM8 million. This case involves the supply of rubber seedlings to subsidiaries of a statutory body between 2015 and 2017.
These actions mark the first major enforcement steps taken since the government tasked a special team to review the RCI report. The MACC has deployed dedicated officers to the Tabung Haji headquarters to examine documents and identify further individuals for questioning. The suspects are currently under remand to assist with ongoing inquiries, with the court granting a two-day order for the design firm director and a three-day order for the former estate manager. The public and stakeholders are watching these developments closely as the government moves to address the systemic issues highlighted by the inquiry.