Nur Jazlan warns Umno leadership contest will destabilise the party 

JOHOR BARU, Jan 3 — A Johor Umno leader today suggested that the party’s top two posts should not be contested in order to focus on strengthening the party and restoring the people’s trust.

Johor Umno deputy chief Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the contest for the president and deputy president’s posts will only threaten the current unity and bring about divisions within the Malay nationalist party.

He also reminded party members not to be hoodwinked by an unnamed Umno MP who contested and won under the party’s ticket but was possibly conspiring with the Opposition.

“In fact, this particular MP was known to have mobilised efforts to become Umno’s next president and deputy president even before the 15th general election (GE15),” he said, without naming the elected representative.

Nur Jazlan said Umno members are reminded that such MPs have not only been known to shift allegiances easily, but also betrayed the party in the past by colluding with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“So, let’s focus on strengthening Umno and restoring the people’s trust after the party has been badly battered this time round.

“After all, with Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s position as deputy prime minister and the rural and regional development minister, it is the best platform for Umno to rebuild the confidence of the rural community and also its ability to champion the people,” said Nur Jazlan in a post on his official Facebook page here today.

He was commenting on being against suggestions that Umno open the top two posts for contest, in avoiding further damage to the party.

Last week, Ahmad Zahid was reported to have said during a politics talk show that having no contest for the top two posts in the party was not something new. However, as a democrat, he would leave it to the party delegates to decide.

At present, Umno has yet to decide whether the president and deputy president’s posts will be up for contest in the upcoming party polls.

Meanwhile, Nur Jazlan also questioned who the possible Umno’s president and deputy president candidates are if the two posts are contested in the party’s election which is expected to be held in the middle of this year.

“We have to think about many things before going with our emotions.

“It is easy to talk about changing the party’s leadership, but can the newly elected leader defend the fate of the party?” he questioned.

With the current situation, Nur Jazlan said that any competition for the two main positions in Umno will only bring division and undermine the party’s unity, especially during its recovery process after GE15.

He said in Umno’s 70-year-old founding history, there were only four occasions when there was a contest for the president’s position.

Those involved Tunku Abdul Rahman and Ahmad Fuad Hassan (1951); Tun Hussein Onn and Sulaiman Palestin (1978); Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) (1987) and Ahmad Zahid and four challengers (2018).

“We can see that every time there is a contest for the president’s post, there will be a split in the party.

“Are we willing to see Umno divided again and have factions or two teams like 40 years ago?

“Umno has been divided many times starting with the existence of PAS, Semangat 46, PKR and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). The party cannot afford another big division again because if that happens, then the party will not last long.

“Compromise is what guaranteed Umno’s stability until 2018 when there were challengers to the president’s post after Barisan Nasional (BN) fell in the 14th general election (GE14),” said Nur Jazlan.