Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, the Jerlun Member of Parliament, who asked Prime Minister Datuk Abdullah Badawi to "do the right thing" following the Barisan Nasional's disastrous performance in the recent polls, have urged the party leadership not to postpone the Umno election and to respect the wishes of members to elect leaders of their choice.
"I appeal to Umno's leadership not to postpone it and do as the party president said last year that it will be carried out this year," he told Bernama here Tuesday.
He said the party elections was something important and a democratic process it had to go through.
Mukhriz, who is also a member of Umno Youth's executive council, said that he was confident the party elections would not cause a split among members as they were wise enough to decide without being emotional.
Datuk Mukhriz was, of course, referring to the statement of Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib who said yesterday that the party's state liaision chiefs wanted the polls to be postponed to June next year to prevent "chaos and disaster" if held this year.
However, Muhammad Taib failed to explain what havoc and disaster would befall the country if Umno holds its general assembly and election this August.
The Umno elections, initially scheduled for last year, were postponed to this year due to the 12th general election on March 8. The last party elections were held in 2004.
Under the party's constitution, the party President can postpone the elections up to June next year.
Mukhriz said Umno leaders must follow the party constitution and all Umno members must decide wisely and rationally on who to choose as their leaders.
Even if there was a contest for the top two posts, it would not cause a split in Umno especially if done in a gentlemanly fashion.
"If there is no money politics and is done in a controlled manner without members becoming emotional, I do not see any problems," he said.
(Just wondering if the postponement is the wish of state liaison chiefs or that of the top party leadership in view of what is happening in the party.
There are already moves initiated by veteran Gua Musang divisional chief Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who has called for an extraordinary meeting of the party at divisional and central levels to discuss contemporary issues affecting the party.
Last night the Cheras Umno division passed a resolution urging the leadership to allow all top posts in the party, including those of president and deputy president, be contested at its upcoming elections. (read here) .
It would certainly be a "hot" general assembly given the circumstances and development in Umnno of late. )
Bernama has the story here.
Read Hantu Laut's Blur:Double-barrelled Mohammad here.
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6 comments:
"havoc & disaster" to Pak Lah and SIL dan koncu-kconcunya
.
Haiiya, its another delaying tactic.
The sooner held the better so Umno can kick the sleeping leader out.
Members of the Umno Supreme Council are cowards. They are scared to face the ordinary members.
They just have NO BALLS!
The Umno leadership keep saying the party must face reality. Yet it is still delusional thinking that it can revive the dying party with the likes of Muhammad the son of Muhamad helming the party information post.
Deferring the party election only confirms that the party is scared shit of the REALITY - that it is no longer relevent to the ordinary Malays and to all Malaysians.
A weak leader like Pok Loh can't see the sense of urgency in a crisis. In a way he's doing the right - dismantling UMNO piece by piece. Which is a good thing because the time will come when it would all be too late to put it all back together again. Leaders are action-oriented people. With Pok Loh, I don't think he's that kinda guy. He's more like a laid back raggae musician. Maybe he is at heart.
tok mommy,
Postponing the party elections and hoping that members will forget the problems the party is facing and that they will simply fade and go away is just wishful thinking on the part of party leadership.
Just what is going in their head?
Umno kira dah nazak, nyawa dah sampai ke tekak. Hanya menunggu masa menghembuskan nafas terakhir untuk dikebumikan.
SEREMBAN, March 26 (Bernama) -- Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan wants the party election to be held this year as scheduled instead of postponing it to next year as proposed by some quarters.
The Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar and State Umno Liaison chairman said Umno members should be rational on this matter.
"We must not run away from problems but should face them. This is my personal opinion.
"Action must be taken as Umno members want the Malays to be united and strong again. However, if those in Umno are not interested in unity, then we can postpone it and the problem will not be resolved forever" he told reporters here Wednesday.
Mohamad Hasan was commenting a statement by Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib yesterday that state Umno liaison committees had proposed that the party election be postponed to June next year to avoid problems.
The Umno election scheduled for last year was postponed because of the general election and must be held before June next year.
Mohamad said Umno members must be prepared to take on problems and not run away from them.
"We must return to the original Umno struggle. People who love Umno as the party which fights for the dignity of the Malays must place the party before personal interest.
"The recent general election was an expensive lesson for us all," he added.
-- BERNAMA
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