Adnan: Allow contest for top Umno posts

(The Star) – Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob has disagreed with calls for Umno’s top two positions to be left uncontested in the coming party polls.

Umno, he said, was a democratic party and should not be exclusive if it wanted to remain relevant to youths and the educated.

“I do not agree with the statements for the positions to be uncontested,” he told reporters after visiting TV3’s Jom Heboh carnival at the MPK2 field here yesterday.

“For me, it must be open. We can support Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for the president’s post. But how can the posts for the president, deputy president, Youth chief and Wanita chief all be left uncontested?

“It’s better that we do not do this because it will show that we are becoming autocratic,” he said.

However, Adnan said this did not mean that he was not loyal to both the party president and deputy president.

It was reported that Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had expressed a wish for the party’s top two posts to be won uncontested.

Several Umno leaders, including vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan, had also supported the call.

Asked if he would be contesting, Adnan said he was “already old and would like to focus on doing what must be done”.

In Kota Kinabalu, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said the top two posts should not be contested to preserve solidarity among members of the party, which he said was the pillar of Barisan Nasional’s strength.

“Opening contest for key posts in Umno will create the setting up of camps. Based on past experiences, it is feared that this will lead to internal bickering and continuous politicking, which will only weaken the party,” he said.

Instead, he said efforts should be made to enhance solidarity and unity among party members in preparation for the 14th general election.

Meanwhile, in Muar, Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said it was “still too early” to comment on the issue, stressing, however, that Umno was a democratic party.