NAJIB GOES FOR PRESIDENT, MAT TAIB VYING DEPUTY PRESIDENT

NAJIB GOES FOR PRESIDENT, MAT TAIB VYING DEPUTY PRESIDENT

Since the official statement that Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will not retain his president's position at the UMNO General Assembly due in March 2009, his deputy Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak has officially today offer himself for the No. 1 post as the President.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has also indicated that he will contest the President's post in the forthcoming March UMNO Annual General Assembly.

Since there are many candidates vying for the Deputy President position, it is rumoured that International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin would also take a bold step to contest the president's post. As of now, Tan Sri Muhyiddin has indicated that he will run for the deputy president's position. We will know his stand tomorrow when he officially announces the post he will be vying in the UMNO elections.

It has been reported that UMNO information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib will offered himself as a candidate for the deputy presidency. Muhammad who joined the party in 1964 and was elected as vice-president and Selangor deputy state liaison committee head in 2004. He was forced to resigned as Selangor Menteri Besar in 1997 after being charged in Australia for holding currency worth RM3.8 million and subsequently was found not guilty. Muhammad was appointed a senator in 2006 by PM Datuk Seri Abdullah and appointed a Rural and Regional Development Minister.

Among those who have officially announced their deputy president candidacies are Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi , vice-president and Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Pulai division head Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, son of former UMNO Secretary-General Tan Sri Mohamad Rahmat.

It is anticipated that many more will join the race in the next few days.

news courtesy of Malaysiakini