Shahrir: Umno has cleaning-up to do

(The Star) – Umno should improve its overall system, which would enable it to avoid having its credibility questioned.

Party supreme council member Datuk Shahrir Samad said the improvement should involve all bodies under the party, including both the management and appeals committees, the council and the disciplinary board.

He said the party system should also be improved so that it could become more transparent and open and thus, credible enough for it not to be questioned.

“We have to look at the weaknesses that we have now and work on improving it,” he told pressmen after closing a bowling competition yesterday.

He was commenting on the decision of the disciplinary board to ban Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam to contest the party deputy president’s post in the upcoming party election, which had since then been questioned by some people.

He also said the reaction by Mohd Ali’s supporters was normal as he was a popular politician. “He has strong support from the party’s grassroots.

“So, when such an incident happen, there will be a political reaction and we cannot avoid it,” he added.

On an unrelated issue, Shahrir said the reopening of the old Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex for pedestrians would liven up the city again.

“Businesses in the area will benefit from this as the pedestrians will once again return to Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Tun Razak,” he said, adding that the complex was expected to be reopened this year.