Nazri adamant Umno’s top 2 posts should not be contested

(FMT) – The Padang Rengas Umno division is adamant with its stand to table a motion that the highest posts in the party, namely, that of the president and deputy president, should not be contested in the coming election at the 2017 Umno General Assembly next week.

Prior to this, Umno Supreme Council member Nazri Aziz had said several times he would be submitting a motion for the proposal.

“The motion will be tabled as we don’t want certain quarters harbouring aspirations to contest the two posts,” Nazri said.

“This is not a personal matter and the two posts should not be contested in the interest of the party, and Padang Rengas Umno insists on the motion being accepted even if it is not debated.

“I feel party unity is very important, and this year there will be no restraint on the delegates to submit motions on any issue on the party as compared to the 60s,” he said.

He was speaking at a media conference after opening a Padang Rengas-level UPSR Excellence Award Ceremony, Back to School Contribution and Contribution to the Village Development and Security Committee at Lubuk Merbau Millennium Hall here yesterday.

Nazri, who is also Padang Rengas MP, said certain quarters criticised (Prime Minister) Najib Razak not for personal reasons, but in the interest of the party.

The post of Umno president is now held by Najib while (Deputy Prime Minister) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi currently shoulders the duties of the deputy president.

Meanwhile, Nazri, who is tourism and culture minister, said the bill for the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act 2017, which proposes waiver of the mandatory death sentence and which had been approved at a Dewan Rakyat sitting recently, could save and help drug mules.

He said he had voiced out for an amendment of the act when he was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department responsible for the law and parliament affairs.

“The amendment can help judges to decide between the death penalty or life imprisonment and the cane. This is a good development to save those who were unaware they were carrying drugs and who end up as drug mules,” he said.