MACC gives Azeez, family one month to declare assets

MACC served notices to former Tabung Haji chairperson Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and his family this week to declare their assets, with asset declaration forms also provided to them, chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman said.

"We have served notices to Azeez and his family members requiring them to declare their assets within one month, as stipulated by law.

"The notices were delivered to him and his family, and specific forms were provided for the asset declaration and reporting to the MACC," Berita Harian quoted Halim (above) as saying at a press conference at the Malaysian Prison College shooting range today.

Last week, Azeez pleaded not guilty to one count of abuse of power under Section 23(1) of the MACC Act 2009 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Azeez was alleged to have abused his position as Tabung Haji chairperson in 2014 to receive, as gratification, the position of Putrajaya Perdana Berhad chairperson, which comes with RM690,000 yearly remuneration, a BMW Series 7 car and a dedicated driver.

The charge sheet detailed that Azeez (below) had achieved this by directing then Tabung Haji CEO Ismee Ismail to name him as the haj fund's representative in Putrajaya Perdana.

The former Baling MP was also alleged to have directed Ismee to persuade other Tabung Haji board members at a meeting to approve the proposal to invest up to RM193.5 million in Putrajaya Perdana, in which he had an interest.

His charge, framed under Section 23(1), carries a maximum of 20 years and a fine of not more than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

No absolute authority

Azeez was previously remanded for seven days, between Aug 27 and Sept 2, along with former Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah, to assist the MACC investigation into the royal commission of inquiry report on Tabung Haji.

He previously claimed that he had no absolute authority over the pilgrimage fund’s operational management, saying he only played a non-executive role during his 2013-2018 tenure.

The report, published on July 29, recommended, among other measures, a forensic audit to examine past investment decision-making that led to a significant decline in the institution’s asset value.

The report, which examined Tabung Haji’s management and operations between 2014 and 2020, also identified investments requiring a forensic audit. It also identified suspicious transactions and concealed information.

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