Malacca chief calls for calm

Loyal lawmakers had threatened to quit party over his ban from polls 

By Elizabeth Looi, The Straits Times

Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam appealed to his supporters for calm yesterday after they erupted in angry protests when he was banned from the coming Umno elections.

Loyal state lawmakers had threatened to quit the party over the ban, posing a risk to its hold on Malacca state.

But the popular politician, who is an Umno vice-president, called for his supporters to see reason. 'I hope they will remain calm,' Datuk Seri Ali said at a press conference in Malacca.

On Tuesday, the party's disciplinary board prohibited him from running for the deputy presidency after allegations of vote-buying surfaced.

The ban knocks Mr Ali out of the running to become Umno's deputy president – who traditionally becomes Malaysia's deputy prime minister – in the party polls to be held from Tuesday to Saturday next week.

His competitors for the post had been International Trade and Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Rural and Regional Development Minister Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Mr Ali, who was allowed to keep his chief minister post and party membership, filed an appeal through party president Abdullah Badawi and deputy president Najib Razak last night.

The chief minister was held liable for vote-buying carried out by his political secretary Saadun Basirun and two others, Bukit Katil Umno division committee member Rosli Hasan and division Puteri wing deputy head Zalina Ismail.

The three were suspended for three years, or one term.

The board also investigated 29 people and found 15 of them guilty of vote-buying, including Mr Abdullah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, who is running for the Umno Youth chief post. He was let off with a warning.