Invest in people, not new RM3.5b Umno HQ, says PPBM

PPBM supreme council member Tariq Ismail questions necessity of billions spent to benefit a few when people are struggling with rising cost of living.

PETALING JAYA: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) has raised questions over Umno’s plans to build a new RM3.5 billion headquarters at a time when people were struggling with the rising costs of living.

Speaking to FMT, PPBM supreme council member Tariq Ismail questioned how much the project would cost and who would pay for it.

“Is it necessary for Umno to spend such money on a headquarters? To me, now is the time for Umno to invest in people not themselves.”

He said people in urban and rural areas, including Umno’s three million members were faced with rising prices.

“We have seen subsidies fall and price of goods rising. The price of ikan kembung (mackerel) in some areas has risen almost 50% since 2013 from RM8 a kilo to RM12 a kilo.”

“This even affects those living in areas such as Jerantut in Pahang, Muar in Johor and Kuala Kedah in Kedah,” he said, adding he found this out during PPBM’s outings throughout the rural heartlands.

Tariq, who is the grandson of former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, said that Umno should instead use that money to train the unemployed or sponsor students to further their studies.

“It would make sense if a government infrastructure project to benefit the people is announced but Umno’s headquarters will only benefit a few, such as the Umno elites.”

It was reported in the New Straits Times today that the project will see the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) redeveloped into KL Putra World Trade Centre (KL PWTC).

The project will feature an integrated lifestyle environment comprising the development of a 70-storey office and hotel tower, a new world-class Tun Razak Hall and exhibition halls, a 5,000-capacity mosque as well as a retail podium.

The 70-storey office and hotel tower, to be built on the site of the existing Hentian Putra Bus Terminal and car park, will have an area of 1.2 million sq ft for offices, a six-star hotel with 250 rooms and a sky lounge-restaurant with panoramic views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline.

The tower’s 70 storeys will represent 70 years of Umno.

The entire project will be financed by bank loans and internal funding, and is slated for completion within the next four years. -FMT