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Madani family fighting over money
Ex-religious minister caught in Tabung Haji dragnet
Pointing fingers over 22 special draws
Madani family fighting over money
Like a classic family argument, the unity government appears to be feuding over expenses, with one side asking, “Where’s the money?” while the other replies, “You’ve already spent it.”
In a rare public dispute, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi vented his frustration over his Rural and Regional Development Ministry waiting for funds to pay contractors, some of whom were struggling with cash flow.
“We cannot make payments because the funds have not been channelled to us. Yet, we are the ones who get blamed,” he said.
But the Finance Ministry, headed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, hit back, saying Zahid’s ministry had repeatedly spent beyond its annual allocations and that it was now looking for savings elsewhere to cover the shortfall.
That prompted more “family members” to pile in, with Anwar’s political secretary Kamil Abdul Munim questioning the overspending, while Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh defended Zahid and pointed to other ministries that had also gone over-budget.
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Ex-religious minister caught in Tabung Haji dragnet
Former religious affairs minister Jamil Khir Baharom has been remanded for five days to assist an MACC investigation linked to the Tabung Haji royal commission of inquiry.
He is the most senior former official detained so far in the widening probe, after former Tabung Haji chairperson Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and former Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah were also remanded last week.
Jamil is being investigated under Section 16A of the MACC Act 2009, with the probe centred on the pilgrims fund’s leasing of hotels in Mecca and Medina, involving long-term deals worth about 1.43 billion Saudi riyals (RM1.54 billion) in upfront payments.
The development comes as two former executives of a Tabung Haji subsidiary were charged yesterday with criminal breach of trust, while a former chief operating officer's case was postponed due to hospitalisation.
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Pointing fingers over 22 special draws
The spat over who has done more to curb gambling is drawing plenty of attention, with not many takers for the blame over the increase in special lottery draws from eight to 22.
PAS is pushing back against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s use of the 22 special draws held annually under the previous government to counter Kedah Menteri Besar Sanusi Nor’s gambling “curse” warning.
Kelantan PAS Youth chief Firdaus Nawi said PAS had opposed the increase, pointing instead to then finance minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who is now part of Anwar’s inner circle, as the one who approved it.
But Zafrul has now played his hand, insisting the decision was not his call alone and instead was a collective cabinet responsibility, including PAS ministers who were part of the government at the time.
“Importantly, under today’s Madani government, the special draws have been reduced to just eight times a year,” he said yesterday.
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Views that matter
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