KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — It has been three years since the corruption allegations surfaced, but the authorities are combing its books to check for signs of misappropriation in the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (Yapeim), Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa said.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs promised that action will be taken against the agency within his overview if there was evidence to support the corruption allegations first raised by anti-graft group National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) in 2015.
“Now everything is in the files for us to see where problems arise and I guarantee that if we find any misappropriation, we will not leave it alone,” he was quoted by national news agency Bernama as telling reporters in Kota Baru, Kelantan last night.
Yapeim, a federal Islamic charity agency, also manages dozens of ar-Rahnu outlets offering Islamic gold pawn scheme nationwide.
In November 2015, the PKR-linked NOW claimed that Yapeim paid RM290,000 to hold two marriage courses in Paris, France that same year as well as in 2014, and questioned its purpose.
NOW further claimed that Mujahid’s predecessor Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and his entourage spent over RM400,000 of Yapeim funds meant for orphans on an eight-day trip to the US where they went on a shopping spree and played golf when they were supposed to attend an official charity programme organised by the state-linked charity agency.
Jamil and Yapeim denied the allegations. The former Islamic affairs minister also filed a RM10 million defamation suit against NOW director Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar who was inspector-general of police, confirmed federal police were investigating the allegations, but left power abuse claims to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
Little is known of the investigation progress since.
