PUTRAJAYA will not waver on its decision to immediately cancel the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Foundation haj programme, despite appeals against the plan by opposition MPs.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the government made the call after considering the cost and the ongoing probe on the debt-laden sovereign wealth fund.

“The programme cannot be implemented this year because funds from parties related to 1MDB are still under investigations,” he said during question time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting this morning.

Mujahid was responding to Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan who had asked the government to reconsider its decision to cancel the programme.

Ahmad said there were 1,200 pilgrims scheduled to perform the haj this year with sponsorship from the 1MDB Foundation.

“For the sake of the 1,200 who have received their offer letters from the former prime minister, I ask the government to reconsider. They are ready to go.

“Anyway, the 1MDB probe is still ongoing. What’s wrong with providing the quota for the pilgrims to go on the haj? They may be able to go on their own, using their own funds or their family can help them out,” said Ahmad.

But Mujahid said it would be unfair for the government to proceed with the programme because the pilgrims would take up the quota of other pilgrims.

“This all started with the 1MDB Foundation that is under probe, even if the pilgrims are willing to pay their own way.

“We decided not to go ahead because of that. It will be unfair if we allow them to take up the quota of other pilgrims,” said the Amanah leader.

However, former Tabung Haji chairman and Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim argued that the 1MDB Foundation haj pilgrims quota was a “special quota” given to former prime minister and Pekan MP Najib Razak.

“The quota claimed to be taken from 30,290 pilgrims is inaccurate. Pekan was given special approval for this quota,” he said.

Mujahid did not waver, reiterating that the programme stayed cancelled because of the investigation.

“I want to stress again that we have made the decision based on the situation with 1MDB foundation.

“Because it is part of the investigation, the government stopped the funds for pilgrims chosen under the programme. It means all the 1,200 names (of pilgrims) have been cancelled.”

Since the programme started in 2011 until last year, the foundation had sponsored nearly RM57 million to send 5,711 pilgrims to Mecca for the haj. – July 30, 2018.