Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim accused opposition lawmakers of staging "political drama" on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, after they walked out of a special parliamentary session discussing a long-awaited royal inquiry into Tabung Haji, the country’s Muslim pilgrimage savings fund.

The walkout occurred less than two weeks after Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition lost power in the state of Negeri Sembilan. During his recent campaigning, Anwar had repeatedly cited the Tabung Haji inquiry as evidence of the need to address misconduct and financial mismanagement.

Tabung Haji manages savings for Malaysian Muslims undertaking the haj pilgrimage to Mecca, making the inquiry into its governance, accounting practices, and investment losses especially sensitive in the Muslim-majority country.

Anwar was absent from the parliamentary sitting as he was recovering from elective laparoscopic surgery for a para-umbilical hernia. The opposition had requested the inquiry be postponed until his return.

Responding to the opposition’s walkout, Anwar challenged, "Do you want to debate me, or do you want to debate Tabung Haji? Do you want to know about me, or do you want to know about the betrayal of Tabung Haji?"

Sources

South China Morning Post World: Malaysia’s Anwar slams ‘political drama’ after opposition walks out of Tabung Haji debate