1MDB hit us like an atomic bomb, laments Shah Alam Umno chief

Shah Alam Umno chief Zahari Shaari has lamented that the 1MDB issue has hit the party like an "atomic bomb"

He said this in appealing to the Umno leadership to quickly resolve the issue at the opening of the Umno Shah Alam division meeting which was officially opened by acting party deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"This has hit us like an atomic bomb... Please resolve it quickly," he said at Dewan Seri Budiman, Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara in Shah Alam today.

This was at the top of Zahari's list of items which he said the party had to resolve.

He also highlighted urban concerns, including the rising cost of living due to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the scaling back of subsidies.

He said this is on top of a perceived flip-flop in policies which had created a perception that the government is "toothless" when subjected to pressure, for example on hiring of foreign workers.

On the issue of candidacy for the next 14th general elections, Zahari also said that Umno Shah Alam would request for all local candidates to be fielded in the parliament seat and three state seats.

Zahid, who later took the stage, said something must be wrong in Umno if it cannot win an urban seat with significant Malay-majority like Shah Alam.

"Already Malay (candidates) have never won in urban seats where Chinese are a majority. Maybe only in Johor Baru and Pulai.

"This (Shah Alam) is surely a Malay-belt area... But Umno still lost. That means there is something wrong somewhere within us," he said.

Zahid urged party leaders to make themselves relevant to middle-class voters from urban seats which BN had largely lost to the opposition during the last general elections.

In particular, the Umno deputy president cited Shah Alam as example of an urban Malay seat which BN had lost to Islamist party PAS in 2013.

While acknowledging that politicians would rarely admit their faults, Zahid said all leaders and members should now shoulder the responsibility to correct the situation, rather than just pointing fingers at the ones in power."We see that this is the political reality which we must now face," he said, adding that there are similar issues which BN must address across all urban seats.

Also present were Umno Selangor liaison chief Noh Omar and other grassroots leaders.

In 13th general election, there were approximately 96,000 registered voters in Shah Alam, from which about 70 percent are Malays.

Parti Amanah Negara communications director Khalid Samad had at the time won the seat on a PAS ticket with a 10,939-vote majority against BN's Zulkifli Noordin. - Mkini