JITRA, 13 Oct 2008: Umno Information Chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib today called on Umno divisions to give candidates who have offered themselves for important posts in the party enough nominations to contest the party elections next March.
“I hope those who have offered themselves as candidates will be given sufficient number of nominations to contest, and the delegates (of the general assembly) will be allowed to decide in March next year,” he said.
Approached at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri reception of the Kedah Community Development Department, he said he hoped that all quarters would give grassroots members the freedom to make the nominations.
“In the divisional nomination process, there should no longer be any element of restriction or obstruction so that the results truly reflect the wishes of the majority,” he said.
Asked about running mates for certain posts, Muhammad, who is Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said that was not a problem but it must not get to a stage where members were not allowed to express themselves.
Muhammad, who has offered himself as a candidate for deputy president and has garnered two nominations so far, said he only offered himself for the post after incumbent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that he would be going for the presidency.
Muhammad said he hoped that Umno members would examine the track record and style of work of those who had offered themselves as candidates when it came to a decision on nominations.
He also said that candidates should be reasonable in offering themselves for any post, adding that it was needless for a branch chief to offer himself for a post of vice-president,” he said. — Bernama
