Three days have passed and the top UMNO leadership led by Acting UMNO President Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and Acting UMNO Deputy President Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein have yet to confirm or deny that UMNO is officially laying claim to the assets seized by the police from the Pavilion Residences i.e. 72 bags out of which 35 bags contained RM114 million cash in 26 different currencies and 35 bags of jewellery and watches as well as 284 boxes of designer handbags.
Three days ago, there was a mysterious statement professing to be by UMNO’s Strategic Communications Unit wanting the police to return money that was seized as it was UMNO party funds.
It said UMNO badly needs the fund to rebuild itself after the 14th General Election and that UMNO is seeking to recover these funds, requesting the police to release and return them to the party after investigations are completed.
It said it was unfortunate that the funds were seized by police while being transferred to Umno’s acting leadership after Datuk Seri Najib Razak had resigned.
This is the first time anybody had heard of an UMNO Strategic Communications Unit. Was it legally formed by the UMNO Supreme Council or under the UMNO constitution? If so, when was it formed and who are the members of this UMNO Strategic Communications Unit?
So far, Malaysians have only heard of the Barisan Nasional Strategic Communications United headed by the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who was mauled and defeated in the 14th General Election by the Warisan Candidate Azis Jamman, garnering less than 25% of the voter turnout.
Is the UMNO Strategic Communications Unit a phantom outfit or was it hastily formed by Najib before he was forced to resign as UMNO President on May 12, 2018?
Let the UMNO Supreme Council hold an emergency meeting to decide whether the UMNO Strategic Communications Unit is authorized to speak on behalf of UMNO in laying claim to the seized Pavilion Residences assets, or whether it was another case of UMNO indiscipline like BN chairperson Shahidan Kassim’s unauthorized sacking of Azlan Man from UMNO, after he was sworn in as Perlis Mentri Besar by Raja of Perlis?
The time has come for the UMNO Supreme Council to hold an emergency meeting to decide whether it is officially laying claim to the seized assets at Pavilion Residences, especially the RM114 million in 26 currencies, and accept the consequences of such a claim.
What are the consequences of such an official claim by UMNO?
Some of these consequences require UMNO leaders to answer many questions, like the following posed by a member of the public:
“If the funds are Umno’s, why were they in suitcases? Why were they stored or transported to condominium units not belonging to an Umno official or treasurer?
“Why were they not placed in a banking account as is normal practise for any organisation? What are the origins of the cash?
“If they are Umno’s funds, what purpose was RM114 million kept in bags? What expenses were expected to be paid in cash for the elections which could not be paid via cheques and bank transfers?
“Why was the cash not maintained in a safe under the control of the party treasurer? Why did Umno only now claim ownership? Why did they not come forward at time of the seizure to stake their claim and make full disclosure of the amount?
“Why was cash kept in different currencies? What purpose was the cash in different currencies serve?”
But the most important consequence of such an UMNO claim would mean that UMNO is incapable getting rid of the DNA of kleptocracy and money politics, and that the UMNO leadership, even without Najib, is incapable of making any contribution to rid Malaysia of the infamy and ignominy of a global kleptocracy and therefore irrelevant to the hopes and aspirations of a New Malaysia which was born on May 9, 2018.
Finally, would there be any Barisan Nasional party apart from UMNO who would dare to requisition an emergency Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting to claim that the RM114 million in 26 currencies seized by the Police from the Pavilion Residences are Barisan Nasional assets and not just UMNO assets?
(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, May 27, 2018)
#1 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 27 May 2018 - 2:07 pm
Based on challenge of questions you put (very dangerous to take up such a challenge), it looks like any official claim for monies not in banking a/c but in in suitcases and bags will open the Pandora box of the political party having to be forced to publicly disclose and justify (1) where those monies in bags /suitcases allegedly for political campaign comes from and (2) how such money was intended to be spent in the campaign. Such disclosure or probe carry unacceptable consequences of a party being implicated in raising campaign funds from sources open to charges of illegal money laundering and intended campaign use in contravention of existing campaign laws. Your offer to acknowledge and prove ownership of the moneys is a poison pill tantamount to a confession to political corruption that will provide reason to illegalize the party without need to show no elections held according to its constitution. It will start questions leading to who were persons and organizations making political donations and their source of funds etc Aiyo, no party can hope to play a role as viable opposition party within legitimate legal framework if they take up your challenge to make an official/public claim.
#2 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 27 May 2018 - 2:24 pm
You want a new better Malaysia led by PH there are 2 issues you have to address and not kick them down the road.
First, put in place and institutionalise proper campaign laws for yourself and others. The Country has more than 60 years of political culture that you now complain corrupt. How far back you want to seek accountability? Got to draw a line somewhere in name of national reconciliation with a kind of general amnesty for wrong doings (provided in specific cases like 1MDB, a restitution of identifiable funds to national coffers with zero tolerance for future infractions and corrupt acts.
Second, change policies that have caused so many Malaysians to migrate, we want talents in the Malaysian diaspora to return to contribute the nation rebuilding. Maybe have general amnesty so that more Malaysians will be more than willing to pay tax. The service tax can be a while to slowly pave way for GST to return. Past admin just foisted the GST on us, many retailers already facing challenges of change and rate of change from IT revolution (direct purchase via Amazon) closed shop with this GST with input and output tax that they didn’t understand. How to contribute the nations coffers?
#3 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 27 May 2018 - 2:47 pm
RM15b drawdown directly by CCC of China and spent god know where. Tell Exim Bank of China – they cooperated in national corruption – WE ARE NOT PAYING..THEY CAN COLLECT FROM NAJIB & ROSMAH AND JHO LOW
#4 by SuperStringhg on Sunday, 27 May 2018 - 9:38 pm
I think after Mr Lim series of questions, that UMNO retarded brains suddenly realised that claiming the bags of cash will probably bring him/his organisation charges of money laundering/stealing etc. So, you see why UMNO lost this election so terribly because those members are just know how to take dedak but cannot think intelligently, they are just a bunch of goons.