THE PAS president has connected criticisms regarding the alleged misconduct at Tabung Haji to a broader effort aimed at damaging Islam’s reputation. He further asserted that the controversy was blown out of proportion by a selective group deliberately trying to disgrace Malay-Muslims through these allegations.
Furthermore, he posited that the controversies surrounding Tabung Haji were disproportionately amplified by a small faction intent on exploiting the administrative misconduct to disparage the Malay-Muslim community.
While conceding that Islamic financial institutions are not immune to governance failures, he contrasted these infractions with systemic corruption in mainstream government-linked companies (GLCs) and corporate entities, which he argued is frequently marginalized or suppressed.
He further contended that the intense media scrutiny levied against Tabung Haji was systematically motivated by its Islamic institutional identity. Concluding his defence, he minimized the validity of the critique by juxtaposing the limited number of detractors against the substantially larger, loyal depositor base responsible for the institution’s sustained operational success.
With due respect, the aforementioned criticisms appear to be largely devoid of merit. While it may be argued that the timing of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Tabung Haji was politically motivated—given its release during the height of the Negeri Sembilan electoral campaign—the assertion that these allegations of misconduct constitute a broader effort to undermine the reputation of Islam is an untenable exaggeration.
An overly defensive posture by the PAS President regarding this matter appears unwarranted. The documented irregularities , to begin with , were not arbitrarily manufactured. Au contraire, the conclusions were established by the distinguished members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) following a rigorous examination and systematic analysis of all presented facts and empirical evidence.
Being hailed as an Islamic cleric, the PAS President is structurally and ethically expected to demonstrate profound concern regarding institutional misconduct, particularly within an Islamic establishment such as Tabung Haji. From a governance perspective, there should be zero tolerance for administrative or financial malpractice within these entities.
The critique lacks substantive condemnation, choosing instead to minimize the core issue and deflect responsibility. This approach culminates in the assertion that the opposing arguments serve primarily to defame Islamic institutions, specifically Tabung Haji.
While it is fair for him to argue that systemic corruption in other government-linked companies (GLCs) is often minimized or buried, this does not justify or excuse the wrongdoings at Tabung Haji. In other words, acknowledging that systemic corruption in other state-linked enterprises is often marginalized does not vindicate or validate a defensive justification of the mismanagement within Tabung Haji.
Furthermore, the attempt to diminish the validity of the critique by contrasting the limited number of detractors with the substantially larger, loyal depositor base responsible for the institution’s sustained operational success is arguably misplaced.
While meritorious achievements by Tabung Haji warrant objective recognition, such successes must not obscure institutional malfeasance under the erroneous assumption that the exposure of these transgressions is intended solely to compromise the organization’s reputation. – AUgust 21, 2026
Mohamed Hanipa Maidin is a former deputy minister of law