KUALA LUMPUR – Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) will not be managed well if there is political involvement in its management, said opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.
He said there is no need for TH to be placed under the regulation of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) for the purpose of improving the pilgrimage fund board’s management and operations.
“If there is an issue with management, it is impossible that there’s no one amongst the millions of people, even Muslims, who is qualified to manage it.
“What is destroying the institution is the involvement of politicians.
“Remove all politicians from TH’s management and save the rakyat’s money,” he said in a video posted on his Facebook account today.
He added that efficient management is all that is needed to ensure TH runs smoothly, not BNM’s supervision of the fund.
“There is no need at all for BNM to take over the task because BNM has many unresolved tasks such as the (loan) moratorium, which has not been settled.
“Do not burden BNM with matters that may affect the interests of Muslims and TH.”
In addition, Anwar suggested that having a representative from the Finance Ministry with a strong presence on the TH board would be sufficient.
He added that when he was the finance minister in 1998, the same method was adopted to smoothen the management of the fund’s operations.
“TH had a good track record for decades and in my experience, it can be managed on condition that someone competent is appointed, which has been done before. It can be managed properly with enough competent and responsible representatives from the ministry on the board.
“Although it was just one person, his views and objections had an impact.”
On July 15, the Finance Ministry announced that the cabinet had agreed for TH to come under BNM’s purview and to list TH as a “prescribed Islamic financial institution” under Section 223 of the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013. – The Vibes, July 22, 2021
