Former Malaysian minister charged with misappropriation of US$211 million in haj pilgrimage funds

KUALA LUMPUR: A former Malaysian religious affairs minister was charged on Monday (Sep 14) with misappropriating over RM860.3 million (US$211.2 million) from the country’s haj pilgrimage fund, Tabung Haji. 

Jamil Khir Baharom, 65, pleaded not guilty to three charges, which involve payments made to a Saudi real estate company between 2015 and 2017. 

He served as the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Religious Affairs from 2009 to 2018 under Najib Razak’s administration when the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) was in power. 

This makes Jamil the second leader from Umno to be charged over the fund in as many weeks. 

The charges were brought by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the  the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. 

The Tabung Haji fund was established to help Malaysian Muslims save for the haj pilgrimage to Mecca and to manage pilgrims’ welfare. 

The three charges involved Jamil allegedly causing Tabung Haji to dishonestly transfer the funds to Al Rawda Real Estate Development and Projects Management Co. Ltd, local media reported.

The first involved more than RM42.9 million on Apr 3, 2015, while the second involved more than RM288.1 million on Dec 14, 2016. The third involved more than RM529.1 million on Aug 17, 2017. 

All three offences allegedly took place at Jamil’s office in Putrajaya. 

The three charges were framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code, which carry a jail term of between six months and five years, caning and a fine upon conviction, according to a Malay Mail report.

The Sessions Court Judge Rosli Ahmad granted him bail of RM300,000 and for Jamil to surrender his passport to the court pending the conclusion of the case. 

Jamil was represented by lawyer Hisham Teh Poh Teik, who sought a lower bail after the prosecution on Monday asked for it to be set at RM1 million.

Deputy public prosecutor Farah Ezlin Yusof Khan appeared for the prosecution.