UMNO should acknowledge governance weaknesses at Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) during the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration from 2014 to 2017, as highlighted in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the institution, said former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
Khairy said he understood the position taken by several Umno leaders following the release of the RCI findings, including their denial of any misconduct or corruption in TH’s management, particularly during the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election campaign.
However, he said such a stance was insufficient, especially as Umno seeks to present itself as a party undergoing reform.
"I do not expect them to take my view during the election campaign. Perhaps during the election campaign, we had to say there was no misappropriation, that we gave higher hibah and maintained hajj subsidies for muassasah pilgrims and so on.
"However, what I want to see now, perhaps ahead of the Umno General Assembly (PAU) next week, is that it is time for Umno to be honest about the matter and say there were governance failures.
"If we take that position, people will say that at least Umno has shown some signs of change in bringing the party towards recovery because it acknowledges the issue.
"We understand that during the Negeri Sembilan election campaign, it was not possible to say this, but at least there should be voices at PAU saying we cannot use excuses to sweep this matter under the carpet. Whatever was weak, failed or wrong, we must acknowledge it," he said.
Khairy made the remarks while hosting the Keluar Sekejap podcast, as reported by Berita Harian.
The declassified TH RCI report released last week revealed that the institution’s financial position had reached a critical stage in 2017, after accumulated losses rose to RM10 billion.
The report stated that the government was subsequently required to implement an urgent recovery plan to stabilise the organisation responsible for managing the savings and pilgrimage affairs of Malaysian Muslims.
Meanwhile, according to BH, former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, who also co-hosted the podcast, said the issue presented an opportunity for Umno to demonstrate maturity by recognising its shortcomings, particularly amid signs of renewed public support for the party.
"Umno cannot take the current wave of support as proof that there is no need to reform, apologise and improve itself, and only rely on ordinary rhetoric that Malay unity and everything else are sufficient. This is about sustaining political momentum," he said. - August 5, 2026
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