Public all for direct-voting proposal

(NST) – IT is seen as an individual's opinion, but the direct voting for posts in Umno, proposed by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, has got the endorsement of the public.

A Merdeka Centre survey last month indicated that 57 per cent of the 1,031 respondents from various racial groups and ages agreed to the proposal.

Another 10 per cent said "maybe" while 24 per cent disagreed. The respondents were 592 Malays, 319 Chinese and 120 Indians.

Among them, the Indians made up the highest number (76 per cent) from the 120 surveyed who agreed to a direct election.

Ironically, MIC does not practise such system.

In MIC, branch leaders elect the president three months ahead of the party general assembly. The other committee members are elected during the assembly by the delegates.

Malays and Chinese (53 per cent and 58 per cent respectively) wanted all members of Umno to vote to elect the committee members.

In another survey, 43 per cent of the respondents have stated that Umno should do away with the quota system.

Another 30 per cent disagreed that the quota system should be abolished.