KUALA LUMPUR (June 27): The Umno Assemblies this week beginning tomorrow will be doing Umno and the country a "great disservice" if it ignores addressing the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, which continues to grow in size, Democratic Action Party stalwart Lim Kit Siang said today.

In a statement, the Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri said KPMG's declaration that its audit reports for 1MDB for the financial years ended March 31, 2010 to 2012 are not "true and fair" should be the last straw that breaks the camel's back and make it the single biggest issue in the Umno Assemblies.

"This charade cannot go on, especially after the shocking revelation by KPMG that the accounts of 1MDB cannot be relied on from the time of its inception in 2009," said Kit Siang.

Kit Siang described the 1MDB scandal as an acid test as to whether a candidate qualifies to be a contender for the various Umno posts in the next three years.

He also pointed to other elephants in the shoal of mini-1MDB scandals involving government-linked agencies such as Mara, Felda and Tabung Haji.

Yesterday, KPMG, which had signed off on three audit reports for 1MDB for FY10 to FY12, said the statements did not reflect a true and fair view, after going through the recently declassified Auditor-General's Report on 1MDB and other relevant documents that were withheld from them by the previous management of the company.

Earlier in 2016, another of the big four auditors Deloitte also said its audit reports on 1MDB's financial statements for FY13 and FY14 should not be relied upon.

Umno, which led Barisan Nasional to its first electoral defeat since the coalition's inception, will have all leadership positions open for contest in the upcoming party election.

With its contestants split regarding the role of 1MDB in the GE14 defeat, Kit Siang pointed to how former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is eyeing the Umno presidential seat, has stressed that the party was plagued with scandals among top leadership.

"All eyes are now on the Umno General Assemblies as to whether Umno leaders and delegates will continue the charade of eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouth that speaks not," said Kit Siang.