KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — Pro-patriotism group Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPN) today denied using its Umno connections to secure a lucrative Patriot number plate auction from the government.

YPN chairman Brigadier-General Datuk Husainay Hashim acknowledged today that he was Umno executive secretary for about five years, but stressed that he did not use his links to the Malay ruling party to sell the Patriot number plates, where the top vehicle registration number, “Patriot 1”, has seen a bid of RM1.3 million.

“Never. For what reason?” Husainay asked at a press conference here today.

“If you’re free to talk to Datuk Seri Najib (Razak) and Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin), you can ask them if I ever went around asking them. We don’t take instructions for patriotism. Everybody should be involved,” he added, referring to the prime minister and deputy prime minister, who are also Umno’s top leaders.

Husainay said when he left his position in Umno, he felt like he had to do something.

“What’s happening in the country is very messed up,” he said.

“Patriotism is almost nil,” he added.

YPN deputy chairman Datuk Nadzim Johan said at the press conference that the non-governmental organisation paid the Road Transport Department a lump sum of RM1 million and that another RM1 million has been spent on overhead costs for the number plates so far.