The Malaysian Insight

JOHOR and Federal Territories Umno have rejected the motion that the positions of president and deputy president should stay uncontested in the upcoming party elections.

Umno spokesman Zainal Abidin Mohd Rafique said that if the general assembly approves the motion, it will cast a negative light on the party.

“If this issue is not given serious attention, it may affect not only the party, but also the 60% of Malay voters out there who are watching our behaviour.

“If the positions are not contested, I am worried that voters outside the party will judge our party negatively,” said Zainal, who is also the Bukit Bintang Umno division chief. 

Zainal said this in his debate on the president’s policy speech at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, today.

“Umno is basically a rational and open political party.

“Whoever is elected as president and deputy president will definitely get the members’ support in the end,” he said. 

Iskandar Puteri Umno division chief Pandak Ahmad said that if Umno really wants unity and stability, the general assembly should also prohibit any position in the party from being contested, not just the top two.

“Yesterday, we also debated on an additional motion not to compete for the positions of president and deputy president in the name of party unity and stability.

“Then why aren’t all the party positions in the divisions and branches also uncontested? Only then will the unity and stability of the party be maintained.

“Bring an additional motion not to compete for all party positions. There is no need for the approval of the Umno Supreme Council and the proper due process,” he said in his debate speech.

Pandak said that the motion should not have been brought since Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had already expressed his willingness to contest in defence of the position.

“As far as I can remember, the president has shaken hands and is ready to fight KJ (Khairy Jamaluddin), the president has a big heart and has no problem competing and is confident to defend his position, as well as the deputy president.

“I’m also perplexed, how can this additional proposal be accepted and debated. Maybe Umno has gone back to the old ways,” he said.

The motion to keep the top two posts unchallenged was presented by a Negri Sembilan representative during yesterday’s session.

Umno information chief Isham Abdul Jalil yesterday confirmed that the motion for the party’s top post not to be contested was not on the list of motions to be debated during the general assembly.

But the motion was brought by Negri Sembilan representative Mohd Shukri Samsudin during the presidential speech debate session and was also supported by representatives from Terengganu, Selangor, and Penang, as well as the Wanita wing. – January 14, 2023.