PWTC still belongs to Umno, was not sold to Gerbang Perdana

PETALING JAYA (Dec 27): The headquarters of Umno, the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), was not sold off to Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd, said its new management.

The Malaysian Insight reports that Gerbang Perdana denied buying the party’s headquarters. The denial was issued in reponse to reports that that financial strain placed upon Umno's finances —which have been frozen due to links to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd case— necessitated the sale.

In October, Gerbang Perdana managing director Yahya Abdul Jalil had been appointed to the board of the company that managed PWTC, Putrade Property Management Sdn Bhd.

“It’s not right to link Yahya’s other companies to PWTC. He is only assisting as a board member.

“PWTC has not been sold. Umno still owns it,” Putrade CEO Shamsul Kamar Ahmad was quoted as saying by the news portal.

Yahya said: “It has nothing to do with Gerbang Perdana, which I own.

“This fact has to be corrected. I am not on the board as a Gerbang Perdana representative, but in my personal capacity.”

He explains that he was appointed due to his experience in building management as Advanced Maintenance Precision Management Sdn Bhd director.

“I have the experience and I am on board to help PWTC, which already has its own team. I will give my input to the team and help with management.”

Yahya says that companies are still interested in holding events in the building’s convention centre, and that he will work to help ensure PWTC can compete with other convention centre in Kuala Lumpur.

“We have to work hard. The competition is stiff. There are many modern and new convention centres in the capital.

“PWTC is more than 30 years old. We have to reposition it to attract business, especially international conventions.”