Umno to open private retreat to public for extra income

Beginning next March, Umno will open the doors to its private retreat facilities in Janda Baik to the public, as it seeks to raise additional income to sustain the party.

According to The Malaysian Insight, Umno has now decided that its Institut Latihan Memperkasa Ummah (Ilmu) will be open to the public and companies to hold retreats or team building programmes.

Putrade Property Management Sdn Bhd (Putrade) CEO Shamsul Kamar Ahmad reportedly said it will most likely be called the Ilmu Resort.

"We have just taken over the place and need some time to renovate and refurbish the place. We should be for business in March," he was quoted as saying by the news portal.

In the past, Umno had exclusive access to the facilities used as a political training school and the report indicated that it was last used for a retreat by the party’s Youth wing in October.

Shamsul said before Putrade took over, Ilmu was managed by Umno.

"This place is suitable as a resort and for corporate retreats. There are already meeting rooms and halls.

"There is a range of accommodation also. We have dormitories and can cater for budgets of schools and universities. It’s suitable for schools and universities for team building activities," he added.

'Umno headquarters not sold off'

Meanwhile, Shamsul also denied that Umno's headquarters in PWTC has been sold off to Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd.

In a separate report, The Malaysian Insight stated that confusion over ownership of PWTC began when Gerbang Perdana managing director Yahya Abdul Jalil was appointed to the board of Putrade - which also manages PWTC - in October.

"It’s not right to link Yahya’s other companies to PWTC. He is only assisting as a board member.

"PWTC has not been sold. Umno still owns it," said Shamsul.

The news portal also quoted Yahya who said he is on the Putrade board in his personal capacity.

"It has nothing to do with Gerbang Perdana, which I own.

"This fact has to be corrected. I am not on the board as a Gerbang Perdana representative, but in my personal capacity," he said.

Gerbang Perdana was reportedly linked to the crooked bridge project between Malaysia and Singapore which was scrapped in 2006 by former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Since its historic loss on May 9 in the 14th general election, Umno has been faced with financial woes as many of its accounts were frozen in connection with probes on the 1MDB scandal.

In June, shortly after news reports on the frozen funds, then acting Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party had filed an application with the MACC for some of the frozen party accounts to be opened and utilised for administrative and payroll purposes.  - Mkini