On the ground: Ahmad Zahid greeting delegates at the opening ceremony of Umno’s Kuala Kangsar division conference at the Perak Jubilee Hall. — Bernama
KUALA KANGSAR: Umno has hinted that it will not cooperate with PAS as long as Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang is president of the Perikatan Nasional component party.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the decision was made based on previous experience working with the party.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, many joint decisions made before between the two parties were betrayed by PAS.
“I am a living witness. In a face-to-face discussion with Hadi Awang we would come to an agreement.
“But, the next day, he would have changed his mind.
“Don’t trust them as long as that person is in power. We won’t cooperate with a party that leverages Islam,” he said during the 2024 Kuala Kangsar division Umno delegate conference at the Perak Jubilee Hall here yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, also said proactive measures will be taken to address the problems faced by Felcra Bhd and its subsidiaries.
He said a committee had been formed to study the recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to resolve the issue.
“I would like to thank the Auditor-General and PAC for highlighting the issue, and as the minister in charge, I must resolve this problem and find a way to address the irregularities,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said he had conducted research and discussions with the chief executive officer and subsidiaries under Felcra to resolve the high debt problem, Bernama reported.
The discussions included finding any agency or company interested in buying a commercial development project in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur.
“So far, the building has not been sold, but as the minister responsible for rectifying the accounts and investments in Felcra, I have identified at least three agencies or companies which have the potential to purchase the completed building.
“The construction cost of the building is quite high, and we aim to sell it based on demand and market price so that the proceeds can repay Felcra’s debts to the government,” he said.
On June 26, PAC made five recommendations to the government to monitor the high debt issue of Felcra and its subsidiaries.
It recommended that the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and Felcra exercise greater responsibility and strict regulation of their subsidiaries to generate profits and achieve their establishment goals.
Ahmad Zahid said the views and recommendations made by PAC were related to the issues highlighted in the latest Auditor-General’s report, which was tabled in Parliament on July 4.
He added that these recommendations will be debated in Parliament today.
