Without mincing words, a Penang Umno leader said the party has many apple polishers who do not dare question their leaders.

Citing the expulsion of Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, Khairuddin Abu Hassan said it reflected Umno’s uncompromising stand.

The Batu Kawan Umno division vice-chief said there are those in Umno who were unwilling to stand up for what is right, including questioning the decision of their leaders.

“Instead of apple polishing, members should be more pro-active and question what is right and wrong as well as what benefits the people,” he said.

Khairuddin was speaking to reporters after lodging a report against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's debt-ridden brainchild 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) at the Dang Wangi police headquarters this afternoon.

He also alleged that the Batu Kawan Umno division feared that he would raise the IMDB imbroglio during the party annual general assembly and therefore did not nominate him to address the delegates.

Khairuddin said that he was told by other delegates not to voice out this matter and alleged that the management committee did not permit him to debate on 1MDB.

Disciplinary action

Expecting a backlash from Umno over his report, the party leader, however, remains unfazed.

"A lot of them (Umno members) did not want me to make such a report, especially when it concerns a company which is closely linked with Umno.

"I want to make it clear to a few Umno leaders that this is the approach that Umno should take.

"The public's perception of Umno should change and the people must feel that Umno is responsible for all Malaysians and must become popular again," he said.

Khairuddin, who was known as a staunch support of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, also said that it would be unfair for Umno to take disciplinary action against him.

"I am prepared to hear what the Umno supreme council and disciplinary committee have to say (about the police report).

"On what basis would they want to take any action on me? I made a report against a company and not Umno or its leaders," he added.

Khairuddin's report comes on the heels of Mahathir expressing disappointment that the 1MDB issue was not raised at the Umno meet.

This has led to speculation that the blades have been sharpened for Najib, who has been under tremendous pressure since the last general election.

The 1MDB has also come under intense criticsim and scrutiny from the opposition, which has dubbed it as the “mother of all scandals”.

In an email to Malaysiakini later, 1MDB said it is confident that the police report is baseless.

"We are confident that it will have no legal basis. We welcome any investigation into our affairs and the opportunity to rebut malicious allegations," it said.

Umno man files report against 1MDB