KUALA LUMPUR – Calls are growing for influencers Aisyah Hijanah and her husband Aliff Teega to provide a comprehensive audit of their purported charity collection after the duo were accused of misappropriating the funds.
Angry social media users said the couple had exploited donors’ generosity and compromised the integrity of various causes.
The couple were outed by a social media user who revealed that they earned 20% in commission for the funds they raised in collaboration with the JomDonate platform. They had “championed” various causes, including raising funds for the poor and for Palestine.
“All this while I’ve been donating RM10/RM50, it turns out I was paying the influencers… I thought by donating RM10/RM50, it would reach the targeted audience but it was just to feed the influencers,” user @arra_Zzz2996 posted on X, in response to news of the couple’s arrest.
Aisyah and her husband Aliff, whose real name is Mohd Hazalif Mohd Hazani, are currently in remand from July 11 to 14 as part of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigation into their alleged embezzlement of donations.
The total sum collected amounted to RM3 million since 2020, according to MACC.
“Good at lying… clear your name with an audit,” social media user Ahmad Azriddin Rosli said in a comment on Aliff’s Facebook page.
Another netizen, Siti Aisyah Naser, said, “Ask an auditor to come and audit your company, including an audit on the funds collected. Then, publish it for everyone to read. Don’t hide behind the keyboard”.
Other netizens who made donations sought reassurances that their money was being used for their intended purpose.
One user called Luka Luka posted on Aliff’s Facebook page, questioning his changing explanations on the commission earned from raising funds.
“The other day it was 5%, now you say you don’t take anything. It’s looking fishy. How can people trust you if you keep changing your story? It’s simple, just show the audit report. No need to write lengthy explanations.”
A commenter called Aina Farhah Amran also pressed the couple for the truth about the amount of commissions made.
“Just do the audit, Teega. I’m tired of reading your confusing statements… You said one thing before, now you’re saying something else… What’s the truth now? Are you taking that 20% or not? Previously, you said you only took 5%.”
Besides Aliff Teega and Aisyah, two other male suspects believed to be linked to JomDonate have also been remanded to assist in the ongoing investigation.
The couple has denied all allegations of wrongdoing through their lawyer.
Yesterday, the couple’s bid to challenge their remand order was dismissed by the high court. – July 13, 2024
