Umno must end culture of political patronage, says Puad

In a scathing Facebook post, former Umno leader Puad Zarkashi called on the once-powerful political party to abandon its culture of patronage, which he contended tarnishes Umno's reputation. The post came in response to mounting concerns about Felda, a state-owned enterprise that is said to be hemorrhaging nearly RM10 billion due to mismanagement and political interference, particularly in asset acquisitions like hotels and plantations.

Puad lashed out at the mismanagement during the tenure of Umno's former vice-president Isa Samad, who presided over the agency from 2011 to 2017. However, he questioned why the investigations into Felda's woes would only focus on financial documents, sources of leaks, abuse of power, and white-collar crimes. He urged the probes to bring charges against those responsible, including special officers who exploited Felda's resources.

Puad also turned his ire on Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, imploring him not to shy away from taking responsibility if the party is implicated in the Felda scandal. He urged Zahid not to be evasive, stating that it should serve as a lesson for the party to refrain from awarding positions to individuals who merely complain due to their party affiliations, especially those who have procured their positions through money politics.

The controversy surrounding Felda's financial plight first emerged this month when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the losses, attributing them to mismanagement and excessive political interference. This prompted Zahid to call for a forensic audit into the company, probing allegations of abuse of power and governance failures. Anwar subsequently said the proposal would be forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration.