A former Malaysian minister in his 60s was arrested around 4:30 pm on September 1, 2026, at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Putrajaya while giving his statement, in connection with investigations stemming from the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].

The investigation centers on a hotel lease agreement involving Tabung Haji in Saudi Arabia. Authorities are probing allegations under Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, which deals with soliciting or receiving gratification as an inducement or reward in a transaction [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said, "The case is being investigated under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009. The suspect will be brought to the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court tomorrow morning for a remand application" [3].

The offence carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a minimum fine of five times the value of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher [3, 4, 5].

The former minister appeared at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court on September 2, 2026, at about 10:25 am wearing an orange MACC remand shirt, where a remand application was filed [1, 4, 5, 7].

The RCI report, publicly released on July 29, 2026, documented management and operational weaknesses at Tabung Haji from 2014 to 2020, including suspicious transactions and concealment of information. It revealed financial misreporting, including a RM1.4 billion net loss in 2017 instead of the reported RM3.4 billion profit [1, 3, 7].

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed on August 29, 2026, that investigations related to the RCI findings would continue, stating, "The investigation into issues raised in the RCI report on TH would continue to ensure that the country does not suffer further losses" [6].

Previously, MACC detained a former Tabung Haji chairman and a former Treasury secretary-general as part of the broader probe linked to the RCI report [2, 3, 8].

The former minister remains in MACC custody as remand proceedings continue.