Umno leaders seen at Zahid's UK trip paid out of pocket - aide

Summary

• Umno leaders accompanying Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi in London did not use government funds for their trip.

• Zahid’s aide said only official officers had expenses covered by Putrajaya; others were on personal holidays.

• At least 12 Umno figures are in London, but most are not tied to Zahid’s official duties.

Umno leaders who were seen alongside Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during the deputy prime minister’s ongoing London trip did not receive any government monies.

According to Zahid’s political secretary Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, the various Umno figures paid for their trips out of their own pockets.

“Excluding (Zahid’s) officers, the rest of them paid on their own. They did not receive any funding from the Prime Minister’s Department or the Rural and Regional Development Ministry,” Megat told Malaysiakini.

He added that some of the Umno leaders spotted at events with party president Zahid in the United Kingdom were there on holiday.

Earlier today, Malaysiakini reported that a slew of Umno leaders appeared to tag along with Zahid during his four-day working visit to the UK, which kicked off on June 1.

Based on photos uploaded on social media, Malaysiakini counted at least 12 Umno leaders now in London.

Three of them are Zahid’s officers - political secretaries Megat (Selangor Umno chief) and Razlan Rafii (Seputeh Umno chief), as well as press secretary Fadzmel Fadzil (Umno Youth exco).

Another leader present is Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki in his capacity as Mara chairperson - an office tied closely to Zahid’s rural and regional development portfolio.

No direct links

The eight other Umno leaders Malaysiakini identified, however, do not appear to have a direct connection to Zahid’s office, either as deputy prime minister or with the Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

One of them is Umno supreme council member, Shahaniza Shamsuddin.

Shahaniza used her public Instagram account to explain her presence in Zahid’s London entourage, saying her initial post drew negative reactions from social media users, despite not using any government resources for the trip.

“I, together with other Umno leaders who were also present, did not use any ministerial privileges, nor were we funded by the government. Accusations of using public money and so forth are excessive. We attended to meet youths who wished to reactivate the UK Umno Club, at our own expense,” she said.

Zahid’s four-day work trip is aimed at strengthening Malaysia-UK relations, with a focus on technical and vocational education training (TVET), tourism, as well as investment.

He is scheduled to launch the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign for the UK market today before heading to Geneva next.

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