Saifuddin: Limit term of Umno leaders at all levels

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PUTRAJAYA: An Umno supreme council member has suggested that the tenure of the president right down to branch chiefs be capped.

Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the tenure should not be more than 15 years or not more than three general elections, whichever comes first.

He said this would prevent leaders from holding on to their post for too long a period and becoming “dictator-like”.

“Problems will arise when they do not appreciate the differences in opinions in leadership and will dictate who is to be chosen in leadership elections,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

This dictatorship, Saifuddin added, would only cause the party to be devoid of creative ideas and denied those talented a chance to serve in the leadership.

“These talents could hop to Opposition parties or simply remain quiet, resulting in the party losing such able manpower,” he said.

Despite the cap on one’s tenure, Saifuddin said, it did not mean that a prime minister, deputy prime minister, minister, mentri besar, deputy minister or MP could not be picked to contest again in the general election if the person’s time in holding the positions in the party had expired.