FORMER minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom has defended his handling of the Tabung Haji (TH) transactions at the centre of three charges against him, saying the arrangements were aimed at securing long-term hotel rates and reducing haj costs.
Jamil Khir, 65, who has claimed trial to the charges, said he would use the court process to clear his name and leave it to the judiciary to determine the case.
“This is a rather long journey in a case related to the Tabung Haji RCI, from 2018 until the date of the official announcement (July 29).
“I will defend myself in court on the matters that have been mentioned, so we will wait for further developments.
“I will clear my name. This is the best place to obtain justice. I believe, insyaAllah, the court will deliver the best,” he told reporters after paying RM300,000 bail for the three charges.
Jamil Khir earlier pleaded not guilty to three charges alleging that, while serving as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), he caused Tabung Haji (TH) to dispose of RM860,308,770.51 to Al-Rawda Real Estate Development and Projects Management Co Ltd between 2015 and 2017.
The sums involved were RM42,942,074 (SAR44.17 million) on April 3, 2015; RM288,172,134.64 (SAR250.04 million) on Dec 14, 2016; and RM529,194,561.87 (SAR471.85 million) on Aug 17, 2017.
The alleged offences were committed at the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) office at the Federal Government Administrative Centre in Putrajaya on the respective dates.
Jamil Khir, a former Jerai MP, said the charges were linked to TH’s rental of accommodation for haj pilgrims, which he described as a core component of haj management.
He said the approach at the time was to secure hotel accommodation for extended periods to obtain better rates.
“The important core for pilgrims is accommodation, so at the time I took the approach of ‘locking in’ hotels for a long period.
“This was so that we could secure the best rental rates or ‘lock in’ the best prices to reduce the cost of haj and so on,” he said. - September 14, 2026
