Umno denies 'charade' to shield those behind TH scandal

Umno's secretary-general, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, has dismissed accusations that the party orchestrated a "charade" to shield those responsible for financial misconduct at the Hajj Fund. This comes after criticism from Jelutong MP RSN Rayer, who alleged that Umno staged a political spectacle to protect individuals involved in the alleged mismanagement of the pilgrims' fund.

Umno has consistently maintained that they will never condone, defend, or protect anyone found guilty of wrongdoing, emphasizing the importance of separating accountability demands from premature public perceptions of guilt. Asyraf defended a recent forum on the matter, denying it was a charade and stating that the inclusion of former Auditor-General Tan Sri Dr Madinah Mohamad and former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah allowed for a diverse range of perspectives and facts to be presented openly.

He reiterated that Umno's stance is clear: no cover-up, no protection for wrongdoers, but also no trial by political rhetoric or public perception.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.