Dr M: The posts of president and deputy president in Umno should not be contested

(The Mole) – Former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says Umno’s top two posts should not be contested to avoid internal party squabbles.

Dr Mahathir, who is also the nation’s fourth prime minister said even though the president and deputy president post should be contested in the spirit of democracy, Malaysians do not really understand democracy.

“If (they) lose, they will withdraw themselves and form another party which will break Umno. I support contests but if there is a contest, Umno will break into two,” he was by Utusan Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir said currently there are three Malay-based parties and it may be four if Umno splits into two up, before it eventually breaks up.

“Other posts can be put up for contest but there is no need for the top posts to be so,” he said after launching a book called The Prisoners’ Diaries by Puan Sri Norma Hashim at Perdana Leadership Foundation on Monday.

Prior to this a blog post at Another Brick in The Wall have stated that having the top two posts not to be contested in Umno will only be seen as a cheap attempt at self preservation of power.

The Mole had previously reported political analysts have described that the proposals by some Umno leaders that the posts of the president and its deputy are not contested, is not reflecting the party’s spirit of democracy.

Several Umno leaders have said that the position of president and his deputy, currently held by Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin respectively, should not be contested.

They argued that it would bring disunity among members.

Kedah Umno had also reportedly supporting the proposal that the top two posts in the party should not be contested in the elections this year.