Khairy Urges UMNO to Admit Past Governance Failures Following Declassified Tabung Haji RCI Report

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — Former UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin has urged UMNO to openly acknowledge its past governance failures and administrative shortcomings in managing Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) during its tenure in government, following the declassification of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report into the pilgrims’ fund.

Speaking on his Keluar Sekejap podcast alongside co-host Shahril Hamdan, Khairy emphasized that it is “time to be honest about the governance failures” that plagued the institution. He cautioned party members against defending past missteps by claiming the report contained no proof of embezzlement by political leaders or by citing the fund’s historical ability to distribute hibah dividend payouts.

Khairy characterized such arguments as a weak defense that attempts to legitimize bad practices and sweep systemic mismanagements under the rug, adding that admitting past mistakes is a necessary step toward restoring public confidence in UMNO.

“If we acknowledge these weaknesses and failures, the public will say, ‘Okay, there are signs of change that could steer Umno towards recovery as they have admitted (to their shortcomings).’ We cannot use such excuses to sweep these things under the carpet. We must admit our failures,” Khairy said.

The 252-page declassified RCI report, which examined TH’s operations and financial management from 2014 to 2020, revealed that the institution concealed its true financial position for years. Specifically, the findings noted that TH reported a RM3.4 billion profit for 2017 when proper accounting standards dictated a RM1.4 billion net loss, creating a shortfall of nearly RM4.8 billion.

Weighing in on the disclosures, former UMNO Information Chief Shahril Hamdan noted that the declassified report presents UMNO with a crucial opportunity to demonstrate maturity, humility, and remorse for its past governance mistakes.

Shahril warned the party leadership against misinterpreting recent state election victories as evidence that reform or public apologies are unnecessary, cautioning that political momentum can quickly shift.

“If there is an opportunity to improve and we don’t seize it, the world or God has a way of punishing you. So do not let it slip,” Shahril stated.

–NMT