Umno removes quotas, but sets new conditions

By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider

Hishammuddin says new restrictions will be put in place for contests involving Umno’s top posts. — Picture by Choo Choy May

PORT DICKSON, Oct 6 — Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today a minimum requirement will still be imposed on party members who intend to contest top party posts, even after nomination quotas are abolished.

The Umno constitutional amendment committee chairman said the requirement was necessary to protect the dignity of the institution of the party presidency.

“We don’t want people who join the party today only to challenge the party president the next day,” Hishammuddin told reporters after chairing the amendment committee meeting here.

But he said the party has yet to decide on the requirements to contest top posts after abolishing the nomination quota system.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the proposed amendment had, among other things, made it necessary for members who wish to contest the party’s top posts to serve a certain number of terms in the supreme council.

The requirement, however, was removed following objections from party grassroots who saw the condition as another barrier similar to the quota system and would only strengthen the supreme council instead of ordinary members.

On the number of delegates eligible to vote in the party elections, Hishammuddin said it “will be bigger than 2,500”.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the amendments propose to expand the voting base from the current 2,400 central delegates to some 146,000 delegates from branches to divisions who will choose the top leadership in one day of nation-wide elections.

“We will study it logistically and our ability. There is no use planning something that the grassroots are unable to deliver,” Hishammuddin said.

Hishammuddin added that most important point was for the proposed changes to be well accepted and understood by the party members.

“We want to institute change that is not only felt by our members but also be seen by our members,” he said.

The plan to reform the party through constitutional amendments was first unveiled by Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak at its general assembly last April, in an attempt to curb money politics.