Puad gesa Umno hapus budaya ‘ganjaran politik’

Former Malaysian Education Minister Puad Zarkashi urged Umno to eliminate corrupt practices like political rewards that tarnish the party's image, warning that its reputation could suffer if the party is entangled in the Felda scandal. Puad accused the party of being responsible for a RM10 billion loss due to mismanagement and political interference, particularly in asset purchases like hotels and farmlands.

He pointed out that former Umno deputy president Isa Samad served as the agency's chairman, leading to his imprisonment. Puad also called for forensic audits and inquiries by the Royal Malaysian Police (RCI) to investigate financial documents, root causes, misuse of power, and white-collar crimes, as well as to name the perpetrators, including special officers who benefited from the Felda project.

He further suggested that Umno's president, Zahid Hamidi, should not shy away from facing the Felda issue. Puad expressed concern that political corruption could lead to the assignment of roles to those who merely capitalize on it within the party. He stressed the need for systemic reforms to eliminate the practice of rewarding political supporters, stating that such corruption has already damaged Umno's image.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Felda was facing a RM10 billion loss due to mismanagement and widespread political interference, prompting Zahid to call for a forensic audit of Felda's affairs to examine various allegations, including abuse of power and poor governance. Anwar then said this proposal would be taken to the Cabinet for consideration.