PETALING JAYA: Calls for the top two Umno posts – president and deputy president – to remain uncontested in the coming party polls have sparked a debate among party leaders divided over the issue.
Battered by a dismal electoral outing where Umno only won 26 seats in the 15th General Election (GE15) compared to 54 seats won during GE14, the party has seen various calls to change the present leadership as a way to rebrand the party’s image.
Quick on the heels are arguments that the top posts should be left uncontested.
Johor Umno deputy chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said now that the party is part of the unity government, it is in a position to rebuild itself post-GE15.
“We are now in a good position to form a new rural-urban political alliance to strengthen our fortunes.
“Those who are working against the party’s interests should instead support a no-contest resolution for the upcoming party polls to facilitate unity and focus on rebuilding the party for the 16th General Election,” he said when contacted.
Party supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said this is the best time for Umno to conduct house cleaning.
“Umno is a party with enough experience to manage intense party polls.
“The party was once declared illegal when positions were contested, but it kept on breathing because it went through the democratic process,” he said.
In 1987, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, better known as Ku Li, challenged then party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the No.1 post.
After Tengku Razaleigh lost to Dr Mahathir, Umno suffered a serious split when the former cried foul over the result.
The courts later declared Umno illegal, forcing Dr Mahathir to set up Umno Baru while Tengku Razaleigh formed the splinter Parti Melayu Semangat 46 in 1989.
In 1996, Tengku Razaleigh dissolved Semangat 46 and rejoined Umno.
Mohd Puad also said the upcoming Umno polls are taking place after GE15 and there will be no question of splitting the party.
He added that Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had on Dec 8 said he was open to any party leader wishing to contest against him for the top job.
Mohd Puad also pointed out that Ahmad Zahid had managed to prevail in the party polls in 2018 when he was challenged by Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh.
Mohd Puad then challenged Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, former premier Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Khairy to take on Ahmad Zahid for the party presidency.
“You shouldn’t only be brave to contest when you have government positions. Let Umno members decide and vote,” he added.
The trio had criticised Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman, for the coalition’s performance in GE15, with Hishammuddin being against the decision for it to form a unity government with Pakatan Harapan.
Khairy had called on Ahmad Zahid to step down as Umno president while Ismail Sabri had said the Barisan chairman should listen to the views of the grassroots and step down gracefully.
Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow at Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, said the proposal to allow the top Umno posts to be uncontested was made by Sungai Besar division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos and, if allowed, will be detrimental to Umno.
“At the very least, I think the party president position should be contested because Barisan did badly in GE15 and some blamed it on the party president,” he said.
The Umno president is also Barisan chairman.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun, meanwhile, noted that not contesting the party president position is an Umno tradition, although not necessarily observed in all party polls.
However, he said if Umno decides to follow this tradition, it will not bode well for the party’s image.
The postponed general assembly is slated to be held from Jan 11-14.
Umno had postponed its party polls for 18 months after the 2018/2021 term ended on June 30 last year, which meant the polls for the 2021/2023 term were to be held before Dec 30 this year.
However, on May 15, Umno held an extraordinary general meeting where it passed a proposal to amend its constitution to defer party polls by up to six months after the general election.
