The Malaysian Insight

SELANGOR Umno grassroots are ready to take legal action to prevent the state party leadership from selling off its party headquarters in Shah Alam.

They said the party leadership must take note of the views of the grassroots in its decision to sell the iconic building.

A group has been formed to defend the state headquarters, and its chairman, Mohd Isa Abu Kasim, said the issue must be raised at state divisional meetings from February 15 to April 19.

“We urge that the proposal to sell off the building is taken to the grassroots level during the divisional meetings so that the leadership is aware of their views.

“We will not hesitate to file legal action against the sale if the state leadership insists on continuing with its plan without listening to us,” he told a press conference today.

The state leadership has been considering selling off the headquarters since August 2018 after its accounts were frozen by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission following investigations into 1Malaysia Development Bhd funds.

On February 5, the state leadership, helmed by Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan, announced it would sell off the building to a private party, despite not securing the agreement of all members in the state.

Eleven divisions agreed to the sale while five objected. Six others abstained from voting.

Yesterday, Isa applied for a caveat to be placed on the property at the Petaling District and Land Office, adding he would revoke the caveat if a majority of the grassroots agreed to the sale.

He said that he had placed the caveat as he was disappointed with the state leadership over its failure to table its proposal for the building.

“We want a secretariat to be formed to evaluate the value and oversee the sale of the building, if agreed to by the grassroots,” he said.

He added that he would be bringing up the matter to the MACC if the state leadership insisted on selling off the building, as he had heard talk of money being given to divisions to support the sale.

He said he would also urge Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to interfere in the matter and stop the sale. – February 13, 2020.