Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

UMNO faces a deficit of trust, says Hishammuddin

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s largest political party faces a trust deficit, a government minister has warned, highlighting the impact of a months-long political scandal surrounding Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Malaysian PM Najib Razak will chair the UMNO supreme council meeting this evening (Nov 24). Photo: Reuters

Malaysian PM Najib Razak will chair the UMNO supreme council meeting this evening (Nov 24). Photo: Reuters

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s largest political party faces a trust deficit, a government minister has warned, highlighting the impact of a months-long political scandal surrounding Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Members are losing their connection to the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which leads the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN), Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters on Tuesday.

“UMNO is now facing a trust test, which is very complicated and worrying,” said Mr Hishammuddin, who is also UMNO vice-president.

“But I am confident we will come out of this and strive to be better for our survival, the party and country.”

Mr Hishammuddin was speaking ahead of the party’s annual general assembly next month. More than 700 resolutions were submitted by 191 divisions for the meeting, ranging from education to religion and the economy, he said.

The comments reflect how the political scandal engulfing Mr Najib has resulted in lowered support for UMNO. The party has been in power since independence in 1957, but won re-election in 2013 with its narrowest margin yet, losing the popular vote for the first time.

Mr Najib has been under intense political pressure over the more than RM42 billion (S$13.7 billion) in debt racked up by state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). In July, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) alleged that RM2.6 billion was transferred from 1MDB-linked entities to Mr Najib’s personal bank accounts in 2013.

He has removed from Cabinet detractors who criticised him over the 1MDB issue, including his deputy premier and a minister, even as they remained senior leaders in the party. Mr Muhyiddin Yassin, the axed deputy premier, has reportedly been barred from speaking during the next party general assembly.

Mr Najib has said the funds in the accounts, which have since been closed, were political donations from the Middle East rather than public money, an initial conclusion reached by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission.

Increasing global scrutiny of 1MDB has prompted several government agencies to conduct their own investigations. In September, the WSJ, citing an anonymous source, reported the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation was conducting an investigation into 1MDB over alleged money laundering activities.

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has been on a public campaign to get Mr Najib removed, even before the 1MDB scandal led to political tensions and prompted thousands of anti-government protesters to rally in the capital in August.

In a statement issued to media yesterday, opposition Democratic Action Party parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said that the Defence Minister’s “realisation and warning that UMNO is suffering from denial syndrome” has come too late.

“This is because UMNO is not only losing the trust of Malaysians and the Malay population, but also the 3 million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches,” said Mr Lim, who was suspended from Parliament for six months after allegedly insulting the Speaker last month.

He said there are no signs that UMNO leaders are coming out of their “denial syndrome” anytime soon by breaking tradition and barring Mr Muhyiddin, the party vice-president, from speaking.

Mr Hishammuddin declined to say if any of the resolutions submitted referenced 1MDB and the donations. AGENCIES , WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JASON TAN

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.