Don't suppress democracy in Umno, urges Alor Setar division chief on Umno elections

ALOR SETAR - Umno needs to allow the 150,000 delegates eligible to vote at party elections, said Alor Setar Division chief Datuk Mohd Yusof Ismail.

He said it is not right to restrict democracy in the election process to elect two top post - president and deputy president.

"It will strengthen the image of Umno.

"Let the representatives decide who is most qualified to lead the party after the severe defeat in the 15th General Election (GE15)," he said in a statement today.

Yusof stressed that whoever wins the two top post should be given undivided support.

"Don't make decisions as you wish without respecting the Umno grassroots. Do not challenge the sacred voice of Umno members," he said.

He said some Umno members who do not want the positions of president and deputy president to be contested use the excuse of not wanting to split the party.

"However, the fact is, they are the ones who have been the strongest and destroyed the Umno family, so much so people are fed up with Umno's politicking.

"Umno lost the 14th general election but not as bad as the GE15. Datuk Seri Najib Razak was president at that time and resigned. Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was the vice president, resigned. This is called collective responsibility," he said.

He said tthe president's post was previously challenged by Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah but Zahid still won. Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan won the deputy president's post while Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Datuk Khaled Nordin won the vice president's post in party elections held in 2018.

"There is no division in Umno. Everyone respects and accepts the decision because it was won legally and fairly," he said.

Yusof said that the grassroots hopes the leadership could bring back the the glory days of Umno.

On Thursday, Zahid was quoted saying that he is ready to be challenged by any candidate in the race for the number one post in Umno.