Umno to issue ‘show cause’ letter on 1MDB

Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan lodged a police report on 1MDB, a party matter, “without consent”.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Umno, apparently assuming the position that any attack on the 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB) is an attack on the party itself, has distanced itself from a police report lodged by a party leader against the troubled and scandal-driven sovereign wealth fund.

Penang Umno secretary Musa Sheikh Fadzir was leading the party on Sat in publicly confronting Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan on the police report he had lodged on Fri against 1MDB.

“Khairuddin never discussed the matter with the State Umno. Penang Umno, including chairman Zainal Abidin Osman and his deputy, Reezal Merican Naina Merican, did not know about the report until yesterday,” said Musa in a media update, implying that lodging the police report was a party matter carried out without consent.

“We do not support his action and regard it as a personal act which has nothing to do with the State Umno. Until today, he has not contacted us about the matter.”

Musa, also Bukit Mertajam Umno chief, said the party was mulling over issuing a “show cause” letter to Khairuddin for lodging the police report and bringing the party into public disrepute and contempt.

“It will be discussed at the State Umno meeting and it’s up to the chairman to decide on the next course of action,” he said.

Khairuddin, in his report, alleged mismanagement of funds by 1MDB and called for a thorough investigation by the police to uncover and expose the wrongdoing taking place in the corporation.