PUTRAJAYA – Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he is open to being challenged by anyone who aspires to hold the party’s number one post in the upcoming party election.
Zahid, who is also a deputy prime minister and the rural and regional development minister, said that this was to give an opportunity to about 160,000 delegates to choose the party’s leadership, especially the posts of president and deputy president.
Speaking to reporters after attending the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s New Year mandate event, Zahid said it was up to Umno representatives to make their own choices, as well as to determine the direction of the party to ensure that it remains relevant on the political stage.
“Absolute power resides with the representatives who represent their respective branches and divisions throughout the country,” he said, when asked if the party’s two top posts would be contested in the upcoming election, which must be held no more than six months after the general election.
In Umno polls held in 2018, Zahid was elected as president after defeating his two challengers, Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, by obtaining 93 votes compared with Khairy (51) and Tengku Razaleigh (23).
“In the previous election (2018), I was challenged by two party members, but the result was in my favour. Not being arrogant or boastful, but this was proven in 2018,” he said.
Asked if the party would invite any of the coalition parties in the unity government to attend the Umno general assembly next week, Zahid said Umno took a stand not to do so.
Umno’s 2022 general assembly was originally scheduled to take place from December 21 to 24 last year, but was postponed to January 11 to 14 this year. – Bernama, January 5, 2023
