Ummi Hafilda forms new NGO, wants people's voices to be heard

Ummi (seated middle) answering questions at the press conference

KUALA LUMPUR: Businesswoman Ummi Hafilda Ali has formed a new non-governmental organisation to push for the "power of the people's voice" to be heard.

Called Kuasa Suara Rakyat (KSR), the NGO was registered last week, with Ummi as the president.

Ummi said the people wanted answers to the many problems facing the nation, one of which was the 1Malaysia Development Bhd that is plaguing the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Ummi also challenged Najib to take a “sumpah laknat” (religious oath) regarding the RM2.6bil donation from a Middle East country that was deposited into his personal bank accounts.

She said a special prayer session (solat hajat) would be held in Putrajaya that would be attended by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and some 50,000 others.

Ummi said it was time that those in power answer to the people.

"The people’s voice must be respected and heard. Their voice must reach the ears of the leaders. We don’t want leaders who are pekak badak (deaf), sombong (arrogant) or syok sendiri (self-absorbed),” she told a press conference on Sunday.

She said she felt it was her responsibility to talk about the people's problems although she never held positions in Umno or the Cabinet.

Ummi quit Umno after Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was removed as deputy prime minister in a Cabinet reshuffle in July.

"I felt that I had to do something when I received thousands of messages from people so that something is done, " she said adding that she quit Umno because she was a person with principle.

Ummi said the NGO was opened to all races.

Taking a swipe at the red shirt movement that held a rally at Petaling Street on Sept 16, Ummi said:

"We are not like Jamal ikan bakar (Sg Besar Umno chief Datuk Jamal Yunos the man behind the red-shirt rally). They shouldn't be talking about Malays and Chinese. We should love and respect one another, " she said.

Ummi, who is the sister of Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali, said KSR was a coalition of several NGOs and had about 30,000 members.

Ummi is known for her role as the prosecution's witness in the Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's first sodomy trial in 1998.