KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Nov 2008: Datuk Seri Najib Razak today won the Umno presidency unopposed after securing 134 nominations for the post.
With only 57 nominations available, no one else can garner the 58 nominations necessary to qualify to contest the presidency.
Najib, who is Umno deputy president and the deputy prime minister, will be officially declared as the new Umno president at the party general assembly scheduled for 24 to 28 March next year.
Today’s nominations for Najib from the Batu Kawan, Tawau, Silam, Keningau, Teluk Kemang, Tampin, Puchong, Sekijang, Ayer Hitam, Kulim-Bandar Baru, Tanjung Malim, Segamat, Bentong, Kapar, Kota Raja, Muar, Indera Mahkota, Klang, Cameron Highlands, Teluk Intan and Labuan divisions of the party enabled him to secure the 134 nominations.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who has also offered himself as a candidate for president, has received one nomination so far, from his own Gua Musang division.
Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, when contacted, confirmed Najib’s victory.
“Najib has won the Umno presidency unopposed but he will become the president after the term of the current president (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) expires on 28 March next year,” he said.
Najib would only be officially declared the president at the party general assembly in March, he added. — Bernama
