{
  "id": 5531168,
  "title": "Umno missed chance to be ‘adult’ in TH issue, says Shahril",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/umno-missed-chance-to-be-adult-in-th-issue-says-shahril-5531168",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T08:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/09/04/umno-missed-chance-to-be-adult-in-th-issue-says-shahril"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan asserts that the party failed to demonstrate maturity in addressing the controversy surrounding Tabung Haji after the release of the royal commission of inquiry report. On the Keluar Sekejap podcast, Shahril highlighted that Umno had two options - to acknowledge their past mistakes in managing Tabung Haji or claim that the RCI findings were part of a biased investigation. Unfortunately, Umno opted for the latter. During the Musyawarah Nasional forum, Shahril observed that the party's representatives, including former auditor-general Madinah Mohamad and former Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah, downplayed any issues with Tabung Haji, stating that it was solvent, free of losses, and had not suffered any financial setbacks. Shahril contended that the RCI's findings, which revealed that Tabung Haji's liabilities exceeded its assets, were irrefutable facts. Furthermore, he disputed claims that Tabung Haji had never experienced losses, citing Madinah's decision to consider issuing a qualified audit certificate in 2018 due to concerns about potential liquidity issues. Additionally, Shahril pointed to the 2018 Urusharta Jamaah Sdn Bhd asset acquisition as a bailout effort. Consequently, Shahril believes that Umno missed the chance to present itself as a responsible and mature political force to voters and rebuild trust. When considering political calculations, it is crucial to appeal not only to hardcore supporters but also to those who are uncertain about returning their votes to Umno. Shahril views this as a missed opportunity and expresses his disappointment to co-host Khairy Jamaluddin.",
  "summary": "The former Umno information chief says the party could have owned up, but chose instead to push a narrative of selective prosecution.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Umno missed chance to be ‘adult’ in TH issue, says Shahril",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/umno-missed-chance-to-be-adult-in-th-issue-says-shahril",
        "published": "2026-09-04T08:07:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}