Seven new faces were today named to form the new eight-member investment panel of the Pilgrim Fund Board, or Tabung Haji, as part of its restructuring process.

They include Syariah Judicial Department director-general Sheikh Ghazali Abdul Rahman (63), Danaharta Nasional Bhd property management director Mohd Bakke Salleh (47), MBF Holdings Bhd executive director Azizan Abdul Rahman (51) and Symphony Global Technologies Sdn Bhd director Zahridah Ismail (54).

Also on board are Islamic Economic Development Foundation director-general Dr Abdul Malek Awang Kechik (44), Amanah Capital Malaysia Bhd Corporate Services chief Abdul Wahid Omar (37) and one of the heads in the E-government project, Dr Hayati Mohammad (42).

The panel will be headed by Amanah Capital Partners Bhd managing director Syed Anwar Jamalullail.

Announcing this today, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin said the eighth panellist, most likely a deputy or assistant governor of Bank Negara, will be named by the central bank soon.

The minister, whose portfolio includes matters pertaining to Tabung Haji, said the government recognised the weaknesses in the board.

"That's why we are restructuring and introducing new faces," he said when asked to comment on recent criticism that Tabung Haji had digressed from its original purpose and made questionable investments.

Protest memo

Yesterday, representatives from PAS submitted a memorandum to Tabung Haji to protest the fee increase for performing the Haj and to demand that the fund return to its original purpose.

Tabung Haji had announced last month that effective from the next pilgrimage season in 2002, the fare would be increased by 10 to 11.5 percent due to the rising costs of accommodation, food and airfare as well as the stagnant exchange rate between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

According to PAS, following the hike, pilgrims from the peninsula would have to fork out RM9,445 while those from Sabah would have to pay RM9,575 and Sarawak, RM9,530, compared with the prior flat rate of RM8,585.

The memorandum from PAS also urged the management to return to its original function of ensuring the welfare of those performing the Haj and to refrain from investing in "questionable projects" such as the Express Rail Link, of which its subsidiary TH Technologies Sdn Bhd owns 60 percent.

'Nothing to hide'

Queried about the progress of investigations into the RM7.725 million that have been stolen from Tabung Haji last month, Abdul Hamid said he was still waiting for the police to complete their findings.

"What is there to hide? I have nothing to hide. There's no reason for me to hide. The case is in the hands of the police. Wait for their investigations," said the minister.

Abdul Hamid also said the government is trying to devise a new mechanism to monitor withdrawals from the fund which totalled RM10.1 billion as of April 30.

"The National Registration Department and Home Ministry are discussing the ways to find a new formula," he said.

According to Utusan Malaysia 's report last month, the perpetrator was believed to have slowly siphoned the money from two private accounts via 18 transactions within a period of six months.

Earlier today Abdul Hamid received zakat (tithes) cheques totalling more than RM4 million on behalf of the Pusat Pungutan Zakat, a corporate arm of the Federal Territory Islamic Council, at the Grand Season Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

The donor companies are Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia, Perumahan Kinrara Bhd, KAF Discounts Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, Takaful Malaysia Bhd, MOCCIS Bhd, Asean Retakaful International (Labuan) Ltd, Kospeta Bhd and Kopetra Bhd.