PETALING JAYA: A three-cornered fight for the Umno deputy presidency is healthy for the party, said Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.The party information chief said a contest gave the delegates a chance to make their assessment and pick the candidate whom they feel is most suitable for the party and the country.
Muhammad, who became eligible to contest the deputy president post on Sunday, said the present scenario should not be compared with the infamous Team A - Team B fight within Umno in 1987.
“The situation is different from 21 years ago. This is not a bitter contest between an incumbent and someone who is trying to unseat him (such as in 1987).
“The current scenario is that there is a vacancy for the No 2 post because of the transition of power between the Umno president and deputy, and the prime minister and deputy prime minister,” he said Sunday after the opening of the Kelana Jaya Umno division meeting.
Current Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said he would not defend his seat.
Current deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has already won the Umno presidency uncontested and is scheduled to assume the post officially next March during the Umno general assembly.
Muhammad said because there was a vacancy for the No 2 post, candidates were free to offer themselves.
He did not think a contest would split the party, and said there were times when a contest in fact strengthened the party.
“Delegates can choose the combination they feel will strengthen the party. If there is no contest, then maybe the combination might look good but actually it has weaknesses.
“So in the next four to five months (before the party elections next March), members can assess for themselves what is the best combination for the party, the country and for the Malays and the people as a whole.
“I think it’s healthy for the party. It’s going to be a very fair contest,” he said.
In addition, he said, the No 1 post in the party was very stable because everyone knew and agreed that Najib would take over as the president.
In 1987, Team A (comprising then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Ghafar Baba) were challenged by Team B (comprising Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Tun Musa Hitam) for the Umno presidency and deputy presidency.
This later led to even a greater divide and finally in Umno being declared illegal by the courts.
tunku : just after he had got enough nominations suddenly it's fair and healthy. before this he was crying and shouting. well, it is healthy and it is a true democracy process but person like mat taib will agree when it favours them, before july he was saying the top leaderships (president and deputy)should not be contested, not healthy for the party, will divide it members....but now he changed.Umno does not need leader like him,chameleon type, no principle. he is a rejected piece and God forbid, if he wins, it will bring more disaster to umno and bn.
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3 comments:
The Rakyat are watching. The Rakyat are not that silly anymore to recognize someone that is without fighting principles. The grassroot also be able to recognize between the pure leader and the flip flop version. This flip flop leader would make us loss in the battle. This kind of leader would not fight to protect the Malay for sure.
They are flp flop because they are coward. They are afraid of their own shadow because they are not a real fighter of their own race.
Whether our leader like it or not i still think it is important for every state liason commitee to organize a debate for high ranking leadership position in party so that the grassroot could directly hear their ideas and evaluate their leadership skills. The debate should be made as part of democratic process in the party.
By having open debate the grassroot should be able to recognize their true leadership values for them to decide. By having a debate it does not matter whether it is a six corner or three corner contest. For sure only the strong and qualify potential leader would last till the end.
In order for us to revive our self we UMNO need a real leader. No doubt we need a clash of ideas among our leaders so we could identify the real and stronger among them to fight and protectng us the Malay.
so now it has been confirmed that it's a three-corner fight between Muhyiddin,Taib and Ali.
the question is who will stand and outshine the others?
i'm sure supporters for each candidate will work overtime to make sure their leader will win the post in style.
Tok Kemuning
What will the debate prove? That the better orator is more qualified to be the leader? Better orators usually are just that - all talk, no walk. All will claim they have the interest of the race (malay) at heart, when all that they actually want is to win the race (party position) and the power that comes with it.
UMNO will not improve with the holding of debates.
Zul Sri Hartamas
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