Umno drops contentious rule, no quotas only

(The Malaysian Insider) – In a major climbdown, Umno’s political bureau has agreed to drop a contentious party election rule on eligibility for top posts when delegates vote on Oct 13 to abolish nomination quotas.

The rule that allows only members of the powerful Umno supreme council who have served for at least three terms to contest top posts has drawn the ire of a majority of the party’s 191 divisions.

“The political bureau has agreed to drop the eligibility rule when it met yesterday,” an Umno division leader told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

He had earlier attended a Johor Umno meeting at the Petaling Jaya Hilton where state liaison chief Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman had briefed them on the decision.

The Johor mentri besar had agreed to express the opinions of the state which is the birthplace, bastion and biggest Umno contingent.

The Bukit Mertajam Umno division has openly rejected the rule. All Umno division chiefs are expected to be briefed further at a three-day retreat which started last night in Janda Baik, Pahang.

The Johor liaison committee and division chiefs met in Putrajaya on Sept 23 to discuss amendments to party election rules.

It has also asked for a special assembly, beyond next month’s 2009 assembly, to discuss the disputed rules such as limiting the fight for posts to supreme council members, designating the supreme council to conduct party elections and the number of branch and wings’ delegates eligible to vote.

The fiery debate by Johor Umno, which echoed those in other states, saw protests from division chiefs Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (Kota Tinggi), Datuk Shahrir Samad (Johor Baru) and Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (Pulai). The first two have been Umno supreme council members and ministers.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/