ABIBULLAH Samsudin, the director-general of the Malaysia Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM), has been suspended amid investigations into alleged misdeeds in the federal Islamic charity.

The suspension was effective today, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees Dr Mohd Daud Bakar said in a statement.

YaPEIM has been in the spotlight over its expenditure, details of which were in a leaked report showing that it paid the legal expenses of one of its directors, an aide to then prime minister Najib Razak.

It also paid unreasonably high salaries and bonuses to its top management, besides making a RM12 million loss in a gold pawn scheme and other dubious business investments.

“During the course of the investigation, he will be required to give his statements and facilitate investigations,” Daud said.

Director of YaPEIM’s Strategic Management Department, Parihah Hasan, will assume the duties of D-G in the interim.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, graduating from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

YaPEIM’s legal department head Adawiah Abdul initially denied reports on the misappropriation of funds.

However, days later, Daud admitted that the foundation’s previous management had misappropriated funds meant for the Islamic body.

He said the board of trustees (LPA) had restructured all YaPEIM committees in order to improve the foundation’s administration.

Abibullah is also believed to be the speaker in a video showing a YaPEIM executive threatening the foundation’s staff not to vote for Pakatan Harapan.

The two-minute video clip, which had been circulated on social media, shows the executive speaking at a company event and telling those present that he will examine each and every one of their votes, and that their jobs at the foundation depended on Barisan Nasional.

On May 18, PKR communications director and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil lodged a police report over the video. – May 21, 2019.