Tabung Haji seeks law change to exclude active politicians from board
The proposed amendment would give legal effect to appointment rules adopted in 2018, including suitability requirements and preference for industry expertise.
Active politicians would be excluded from Lembaga Tabung Haji’s board under changes the fund is proposing to its governing law, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan told Parliament on Oct 14.
Zulkifli said amendments to the Tabung Haji Act 1995 would incorporate the fund’s existing board appointment criteria. Its policy since 2018 requires members to be non-active politicians and suitable for appointment, while favouring candidates with relevant industry expertise and experience.
The restriction covers parliamentary and state assembly representatives, alongside people occupying political party posts at division, state or national level. Zulkifli outlined the proposal in a written answer to Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut), whose question concerned governance and accountability among board members.
On reforms arising from the royal commission of inquiry (RCI), Zulkifli reported that 13 recommendations were implemented, from 17 in total. Implementation continued on four others concerning legislative changes and oversight responsibilities involving Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission Malaysia.
The government made the RCI report public on July 29. Covering 2014 to 2020, it identified governance failings related to financial risks, political involvement and improper transactions. Its findings included political influence over decisions on hibah distributions and appointments to the board.
Answering another parliamentary question, Zulkifli put deposits at RM95.1 billion as at June 2026, with first-half inflows exceeding withdrawals by RM1.7 billion. For 2025, he reported deposits of RM93.4 billion and a profit distribution of RM3.2 billion.
