Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom has denied reports that two senior officers of the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM) had been told to go on leave pending investigations on the foundation.
“We have not come to any decision. The news is not true,” he told reporters when asked to comment on the allegations after officiating the 2105 International Fiqh Zakat Convention here, today.
Yesterday, a local news portal reported that two YaPEIM officials were asked to go on leave pending an investigation on the foundation.
The matter was also reported by a private television station which named the senior officials as YaPEIM chairman Abdullah Malek Awang Kechil and deputy chairman Siti Zaleha Hussin.
Meanwhile, Jamil Khir said a special committee had been formed to investigate claims of irregularities in the running of the foundation.
YaPEIM came to public attention following allegations of misuse of funds and excessive payment of salaries to its top management.
The claims by National Oversight and Whistleblower (NOW) director Akmal Nasir had implicated Jamil Khir, YaPEIM and top officials of the foundation as being involved in the misappropriating of funds meant for charity.
On November 19, Jamil Khir filed a defamation suit against Akmal Nasir over the the allegations at the High Court here.
On the 3,000 YaPEIM depositors who had terminated their monthly contributions through salary deduction, Jamil Khir said: “I have to answer this in court … if not it will be subjudice.”
On the conference, Jamil Khir said it provided a platform for the zakat institutions of different countries to exchange ideas especially on the administering of zakat collection and distribution these days.
The two-day conference is being attended by about 200 participants from six countries, including Indonesia, India, the United Kingdom and South Africa.
– BERNAMA