KUALA LUMPUR:

The combination of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak and International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin continued to remain as the favourite choice for the Number One and Number Two posts for Umno’s polls in March next year.

As of 7.30pm today after 22 of the 191 divisions completed their delegates meetings, Najib remained as the sole choice for president while Muhyiddin garnered 19 nominations for deputy president. Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam obtained three nominations while Rural and Regional Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib one.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein is in the lead for the three vice president posts with 18 nominations followed by Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal with 11 nominations.

Of the others in the fray, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has picked up nine nominations, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Nordin (8), Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (4), Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim (4), former Perlis menteri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (2), Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohamad Hasan (2), former Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad (2), Kelantan Umno chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa (1) and former Science, Technology and Innovations minister Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis (1).

The race for the Youth chief post has Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir in the lead with 37 nominations followed by the movement’s deputy chief and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin who garnered 19 nominations.
Former Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has picked up eight nominations while Perlis Umno deputy chief Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin has obtained one.

For the Wanita Umno top post, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz is well ahead with 49 mominations.

The wing’s deputy head Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil received 11 nominations, despite Rafidah having announced that she would hand over power to Shahrizat in June next year.

As for the Puteri Umno leadership, it is turning out to be a keen contest between the two main contenders with its information chief Datuk Shahaniza Shamsuddin obtaining 32 nominations against 28 garnered by the movement’s vice chief, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin while its executive committee member Datin Ismalina Ismail managed 11 nominations, secretary Bibi Sharliza Mohd Khalid six and Penang Puteri chief Azlina Mehtab Mohd Ishaq, four.

By the end of today, a total of 29 divsions would have completed their meetings. The meetings began on Oct 10 and will end on Nov 9.

Next week, 41 more divsions are scheduled to hold their delegates meetings, mostly over the Friday-Saturday weekeend (some states have Friday and Saturday as the weekend).

New Straits Times

KOTA BARU: Kelantan Umno received a staggering 500 complaints from six Umno divisions over the running of branch election meetings since these started in July.

The divisions involved were Rantau Panjang, Kubang Kerian, Kota Baru, Kuala Krai, Pengkalan Chepa and Pasir Putih.

A state Umno spokesman said the biggest number of complaints involved the running of branch meetings for the Umno Youth wing in Rantau Panjang, where 190 complaints were filed.

Kubang Krian division recorded 97 complaints, followed by Kuala Krai (49) and Rantau Panjang (47).

The spokesman said most of the complaints touched on 24 issues, including inadequate notice for the meeting, lack of quorum, last minute changes to the time and date of meetings and self-nomination for the top branch posts.
“The state election and monitoring committee will call up the complainants and those named in the complaints to hear both sides.

“The six divisions involved cannot hold their delegates meeting until these matters are fully settled.

“This means that these divisions might face delays in holding their meetings,” said the spokesman.

Meanwhile, the Tanah Merah division’s branch meetings, which were postponed due to internal problems, has started holding its meetings since Saturday and is expected to complete them by Friday.

On Sept 3, its acting division chief Nik Kemaruzzaman Sulong was quoted as saying that the division would not be sending delegates to the party’s national delegates meeting next month due to the problems.

Kemaruzzaman, who took over the post from former division head Datuk Hashim Safin who died of heart failure in April, claimed the problems included phantom members and unauthorised transfer of members to other branches.

New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief Tian Chua said yesterday he would not go into a debate over whether or not representatives of the Pakatan Rakyat had met with aides of the Prime Minister over the weekend.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was entitled to deny that the meeting took place.

Tian Chua said in a telephone interview that PR representatives had “a couple of meetings” with the prime minister’s aides.

“We maintain that we are still interested in a meeting between the Pakatan Rakyat and the prime minister to find an amicable solution to this issue (of transfer of power).”

He claimed there was positive feedback from Abdullah’s aides during the meetings, which he described as being at a “very initial stage”.
The meetings were allegedly held to discuss face-saving measures for Abdullah in working out a transition plan that would instal Pakatan Rakyat de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the new prime minister.

Tian Chua expected to have more discussions on the plan in the next two days.

“The Pakatan Rakyat is open to face-saving measures for the prime minister. Both sides understand that we are running out of time.”

Tian Chua shrugged off talks of another Pakatan failure in forcing an emergency parliamentary sitting yesterday, saying it was not within its control.

The first stumble occurred on Sept 16, the day Anwar had declared, in the months following the watershed March 8 election, as the day the opposition coalition would take over the government.

“We believe (an emergency sitting) is the best way to prove who has the support. Unfortunately the prime minister did not agree, which is quite understandable. No prime minister will convene a parliament sitting only to face the embarrassment of resigning the next day.”

Tian Chua also declined to say if the Pakatan Rakyat had arranged for a meeting with the Yang di-pertuan Agong, hinting that this would depend on the outcome of the discussions with the prime minister.

An aide at Istana Negara said yesterday he was not aware of any letter sent by the Pakatan Rakyat to arrange for a meeting with the King.

New Straits Times