No decision yet on whether top 2 Umno posts will be contested

(FMT) – The Umno Supreme Council has yet to make a decision on whether the posts of president and deputy president will be contested in party elections next month.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said there is still time for the council to deliberate on the matter.

“In January, the council will hold its monthly meeting as usual and another special meeting on Jan 12, a day before the general assembly takes place. Maybe it will decide at the special meeting,” he said, according to Berita Harian.

Previously, Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Yunos had suggested that the two top posts should not be contested.

Pasir Salak Umno deputy chief Khairul Azwan Harun also said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should be retained as president for another term.

Former Supreme Council member Nazri Aziz scoffed at the statements, saying both Jamal and Khairul did not have the “credibility” to talk about what is best for Umno as both of them had lost in the general election.

Nazri said Umno should proceed with its elections and allow all positions to be contested.

He also said the party polls can be held any time since the general election had concluded last month, adding that no one should influence the democratic practice Umno had been adhering to for many years.

Nazri said those who had called for the top two posts to be uncontested had undermined the capabilities of Zahid as president, and Mohamad Hasan as deputy president.

Umno was supposed to hold its general assembly from Dec 21 to 24. However, Ahmad said the party polls had been postponed to Jan 11 to 14 as many members wanted to have their year-end holidays.