By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-09-09 06:56:42 | Updated at 2026-09-09 08:10:44
1 hour ago
KUALA LUMPUR - Former Tabung Haji (TH) chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim has pleaded not guilty to charges of using his position to secure the chairmanship of a company with a RM690,000 (S$216,000) annual salary 12 years ago.
Clad in purple police lock-up garb, Azeez, 60, claimed trial after the charge was read out before Sessions judge Azura Alwi on Sept 9.
“I understand (the charge), it is not true at all... I request a trial,” he said.
Azeez is alleged to have used his position as chairman of TH,
which is the country’s Muslim pilgrimage fund,
at that time for bribery, namely to obtain the position of chairman of Putrajaya Perdana Berhad with a remuneration of RM690,000 per year as well as a luxury car and permanent driver.
Azeez allegedly instructed Ismee Ismail, the chief executive officer of the TH Board at the time, to propose the accused as the TH representative in Putrajaya Perdana; and to convince TH board members during a meeting to approve a proposal to invest up to RM193.5 million (up to 30 per cent of the existing issued share capital) in the company, in which he had an interest.
The offence was allegedly committed at the Tabung Haji Building board meeting room on Jalan Tun Razak on Aug 25, 2014 under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, punishable under Section 24(1).
It provides for a maximum of 20 years’ jail and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Ahmad Akram Gharib previously applied for bail of RM1 million with two local sureties and several additional conditions.
However, judge Azura allowed Azeez,
the former Baling member of parliament
, bail of RM450,000 with two Malaysian sureties.
The court also ordered him to report to the Kuala Lumpur MACC office every three months until the case is resolved.
Earlier, Azeez was also remanded for two days to assist in investigations into the hibah fraud case.
Sessions judge Mohd Afiq Zuber, sitting as a magistrate, issued the remand order from Sept 9 to 10 after granting a police application to remand Azeez under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Two other individuals besides Azeez were also remanded during the proceeding.
Azeez was detained by the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) the previous evening and taken to the Dang Wangi police station.
On Aug 27, the former TH chairman and a former Treasury secretary-general were each remanded for seven days until Sept 2 to assist investigations following disclosures related to the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the institution.
Both individuals are being investigated under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act.
The RCI report on TH, published on the Malaysian Islamic Development Department’s (Jakim) official portal on July 29, recommended, among other measures, a forensic audit to examine investment decision-making that led to a significant decline in the institution’s asset value.
The report, which examined TH’s management and operations between 2014 and 2020, also identified investments requiring a forensic audit.
The report also found suspicious transactions and concealed information. THE STAR/ANN
