The lawyer representing Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim has denied that funds belonging to his family held in Tabung Haji accounts were forfeited, Free Malaysia Today reported on Friday.
The denial concerns accounts linked to the Baling MP and his relatives at Lembaga Tabung Haji, the national haj savings fund. Free Malaysia Today did not give further detail on the amounts involved or the basis of the forfeiture claim the lawyer was responding to.
The statement comes amid a wider probe into the haj fund. According to Free Malaysia Today and other outlets, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating matters tied to Tabung Haji, and a former minister is expected to be charged in connection with that inquiry.
Separately, the New Straits Times reported that MACC said Azeez chose to wear lockup attire and handcuffs when appearing in court, rather than having them imposed on him. Bernama reported that MACC announced a former minister would be charged the following Monday in the Tabung Haji royal commission of inquiry probe, while The Vibes reported a former minister was to face MACC charges the next day. The South China Morning Post described the case as a Malaysian haj fund scandal involving an Umno figure, noting the party's political context.
The accounts at the centre of the lawyer's denial, and the status of any forfeiture application, have not been detailed in the reporting available.
What to watch next: whether MACC or Tabung Haji confirms the status of the family's accounts, and how the pending charges against the former minister proceed.
