Incorrigible UMNO leaders continue to shamelessly equate “public interest” to “UMNO interest”, and demonstrating no signs of regret of wrongdoings

 

He even defended that the project is beneficial to the public because “Umno members could get a 12 percent discount at the apartments” while ordinary bumiputras can get 7% discount. 

 

Tony Pua 

 

Despite the Prime Minister’s continued assertion that UMNO has “transformed” and “learnt from the mistakes of the past”, its leaders continue to be completely shameless when defending the obvious wrong doings of their past.

 

In the latest expose by Ng Suee Lim and Shuhaimi Shafiei on the land grab by Kota Raja UMNO, the latter paid only RM1,000 in premium for 4 acres of land worth at least RM2.8 million in Section 25, Shah Alam.  While the land was originally slated for building a sports and recreation complex with a community centre, the site visit had found only nearly completed apartments and shoplots.

 

However, when queried by Malaysiakini, former Kota Raja Umno chief Amzah Umar has denied any wrongdoing over the latest allegations, saying that “the medium-cost apartments are meant for public interest.”  Amzah was also the former state assemblyman of Sri Muda.

 

He even defended that the project is beneficial to the public because “Umno members could get a 12 percent discount at the apartments” while ordinary bumiputras can get 7% discount.  It appears that the Animal Farm cannot be more true for UMNO – "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others".

 

In fact, Amzah had the cheek to deny that there isn’t “anything unusual” in that the Umno division and MBSA only paid RM1,000 in land premiums.

 

It is obvious that UMNO is unable to differentiate between the interest of UMNO, the party, its leaders and members, from that of the interest of the public.  They have shown no remorse over the fact that such actions is no different from stealing the wealth of the people to profit UMNO and Barisan Nasional.

 

Based on the response of Amzah and other leaders over the earlier land-grab exposes in Selangor, it cannot be more clear that if Barisan Nasional is re-elected into Government, they will continue to pillage and plunder the wealth and assets of the state at the expense of the man-on-the-street.

 

The contrast with the Pakatan Rakyat administration cannot be more stark.  After 5 years of administration, no Pakatan Rakyat component parties or its elected representatives have received a single piece of land from the state government.

 

We call upon Selangor Barisan Nasional and UMNO leaders, to announce that if these “projects” were indeed in public interest, then all profits arising from these projects should be returned to the State Government so that the monies could then be spent on the welfare of Selangorians as well as upgrading the infrastructure of the state.

 

Despite UMNO having robbed 5.4 million Selangorians, the Prime Minister has chosen to remain elegantly silent on the above issue.  Datuk Seri Najib Razak who is also the Selangor UMNO Chief must get his house in order by explaining the land grab scandal and accepting responsility for UMNO’s sins.  Otherwise, his call for “transformation” is nothing by empty rhetoric to hoodwink Malaysians.