Lukewarm support in Umno for 2010 plan

Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faces a uphill task in getting party grassroots to accept the 2010 transition plan where he would hand over the country’s premiership to his deputy Najib Abdul Razak.
While two states, Kelantan and Penang, have come out to back Abdullah, the situation is different in key Umno states of Selangor, Johor, Sabah and Terengganu. In a meeting between Selangor Umno division chiefs and Abdullah in Tanjung Karang last night, the leaders took the opportunity to quiz the party leader about the plan. Abdullah had urged the division chiefs to fully back the plan in view of the “huge challenge presently faced by Umno”. In the end, Abdullah could only garner lukewarm support.
According to reliable sources, the division chiefs provided Abdullah support for the transition plan, on condition that all Umno supreme council members unanimously endorse the plan first.
“This means that all the supreme council members must accept the plan and stop questioning it,” said a source.
The source was referring to several supreme council members who had publicly and privately asked for Abdullah to step down and bring forward the transition plan.
Already breaking ranks?
Despite the conclusion to the meeting yesterday, at least two divisions in Selangor are already planning to go against the transition plan.
Shah Alam division treasurer Abdul Manan Said told Malaysiakini that its division plans to nominate Najib and incumbent Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin for the top two posts. “The decision was made in accordance with the wishes of 95 percent of the 84 branches during their branch meetings (last month),” he said. Petaling Jaya Utara division has yet to officially state their position on the transition plan, but its Youth wing head Mohd Ali Mohd Saad said talks among members is that the Najib-Muhyiddin combo is likely be nominated. The sole division that has pledged support for the 2010 transition plan was Sepang.
However, the majority of the Selangor Umno divisions contacted said that the transition plan is likely to be discussed after Aidilfitri celebrations next week.
Terengganu too against plan
Over in Terengganu, a quick survey of all eight Umno divisions - Besut, Setiu, Kemaman, Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Dungung, Hulu Terengganu and Marang - revealed that only one division is prepared to back the 2010 transition plan. A Kuala Terengganu division committee member, who requested anonymity, said their members were prepared to back the plan. Differing, Besut deputy division chief Wan Zakarian Wan Abdul Rahman opined that Abdullah should hand the reign over to Najib at an earlier date. “Due to the present political climate, the grassroots want change at the top,” said Wan Zakaria when contacted.
Division leaders in Kemaman and Setiu were non-committal about the position of their members while leaders from Kuala Nerus, Dungun, Hulu Terengganu and Marang declined comment on the matter.
All Umno divisions will hold their annual general meetings beginning Oct 9 next month where they will also decide on their nominees for the party’s top-two posts.
Time is running short for Abdullah as he would need to muster at least 58 nominations from the party’s 191 divisions nationwide in order to defend his party presidency during the December polls.
However, the party has called for an emergency supreme council meeting tomorrow to discuss the matter.

tunku : as i'm been informed majority of the selangor divisions want pak lah to go soon except for fews like the one headed by noh(tanjong karang) and of course sepang(zin badak-jkr minister).if umno really listen to the ground and not it leaders, they all want pak lah to go. unfortunately, only few of them have the power to decide , the division head plays important role.he will only send the G7(representatives of a division) which he thinks will back his decision. money politics plays it part too(that is the main sickness in umno right now).if only every member's vote counts.