KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Umno Women chief Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad echoed the call to leave the party’s top two leadership posts uncontested, saying this was key to ensuring Umno’s survival.

In her speech during the Umno Women’s annual general assembly today, she said the current party leadership deserves both space and support as they attempt to rehabilitate Umno.

"Therefore, it is better that the positions of the president and deputy president are not contested.

"Give them space and support to revive and empower Umno for the political survival of the party and the country,” she said.

She also urged delegates to trust the leadership’s decisions when forging political alliances with other parties.

"Looking at what is happening in this party and the current political situation, it is time for us, together with the existing leadership, to rise up together and restore the party’s strengths and the people’s confidence,” she added.

Similarly, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said yesterday that it would be better for the top positions in the party to go uncontested as it would signal an internal rift otherwise.

Prior to that, Ummo secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said that the party election must be held before May 19 this year.

This is in line with Umno’s constitutional amendments that require the party to hold its internal polls six months after a general election.

The ongoing Umno general assembly was deferred from last year due to the 15th general election that was held in November.

The main party assembly kicks off tomorrow.