Malaysia haj fund scandal: ex-religious minister denies role in US$211 million transfer

A former Malaysian religious affairs minister pleaded not guilty on Monday to three charges involving more than 860 million ringgit (US$211 million) in transactions linked to the country’s state-run haj savings fund and a Saudi property group. Jamil Khir Baharom, 65, served as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing religious affairs from 2009 until 2018, when the government of former prime minister Najib Razak lost power. His prosecution is the latest legal action to follow a...