Adnan: Closed-door debate likely on Umno reforms

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KUALA LUMPUR: The debates on the proposed amendments to Umno’s constitution is likely to be closed to the media, said party secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor.

This is to allow delegates to express their views openly and candidly without fearing that their statements may hurt the feelings of others, he said.

However, he said, the matter would only be decided before the start of the extraordinary general assembly which will be held amidst the party’s 2009 general assembly.

Over 2,500 Umno delegates will vote on the proposed amendments on Thursday to bring reform to the party by empowering its grassroots to have a bigger say in choosing its leadership.

Speaking at a briefing session on the event, Tengku Adnan said that among the issues that would be decided by the candidates were the party’s election procedures and the eligibility of candidates planning to contest top party posts.

The doing away of the quota system, which had been blamed by many as the main cause of money politics in Umno, would also be formalised at the special assembly.

He said party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had clearly stated that they did not believe in imposing any conditions for prospective candidates.

“Both leaders have told the political bureau that they wanted the contests for party posts to be open to all. But most Umno divisions feel there is a need for certain conditions to be imposed, especially for the top posts.

“This is to prevent party elections from turning into a joke. We do not want just anyone to simply contest.”

“We need to maintain a certain level of dignity so that we will not end up with 50 or 60 people contesting for the presidency,” he said.

However, Tengku Adnan stressed that the conditions proposed would be very minimal.

The general assembly will start with the president’s keynote address, and adjourned after the speech, for the start of the extraordinary general assembly.

The motion of thanks on the president’s keynote address would be debated on the last day of the general assembly.

This is also the first time that Umno is holding two general assemblies in one year.

Its last general assembly was held in March, but it was actually the party’s 2008 general assembly scheduled for December. It had been postponed for four months to accommodate the transition of power from former president Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Najib.