PARLIAMENT Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has defended minister Jamil Khir Baharom of any wrongdoing in the Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (Yapeim) scandal .

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Asyraf said Yapeim conducted its activities using funds it generated from its subsidiary businesses and not from money meant for orphans or funds from public contributions.

The businesses, which included an Ar-Rahnu operation, have generated RM1.034 billion for the foundation, he said.

Even the invoice that allegedly details expenses for a trip Jamil Khir took to the United States, which was billed to Yayasan Pembangunan Anak Yatim/Miskin (Pemangkin), was ultimately paid for by Yapeim, Asyraf said.

"The accusations that orphans' money was used is slanderous… the (paid) stamp (on the invoice) was Yapeim's.

"Even if you compare to the RM1.034 billion, the RM410,000 used for the US trip was just 0.0063 percent," Asyraf ( photo ) told the House

He added that it was up to Yapeim on who it wanted bring along for its activities and how much it wanted to pay out.

This was because the government's involvement in Yapeim ended at the appointment of its board of trustees, who have full power over the foundation.

This includes deciding how much allowances its executives get. Asyraf also said the auditor-general’s report on Yapeim last year did not find any mismanagement.

Aimed at curbing homosexual relationships

Yapeim came under the spotlight after the National Oversight & Whistleblowers (NOW) made a series of exposes against it, alleging mismanagement and corruption.

This included the claim that Yapeim deputy president Zaleha Hussin, her husband and their son were appointed to several key positions in the foundation and its subsidiaries, giving them a joint income of RM81,700 a month.

NOW also claimed that RM490,000 was spent on a marriage course in Paris.

To this, Asyraf said such marriage courses were not the usual ones given in Malaysia but aimed at curbing negative influences, such as homosexual relationships, among Malaysians abroad.