KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- The recent Umno leadership crisis in Terengganu is seen as having driven the party leadership to appoint vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein as the new state Umno liaison committee chairman.
This makes Datuk Seri Ahmad Said the only menteri besar from Umno not appointed as the chairman of an Umno state liaison committee.
However, Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said, when announcing the Umno appointments Friday, that any menteri besar not appointed as chairman of the state liaison committee would be invited to attend meetings of the Umno supreme council.
Najib, who had chaired a meeting of the supreme council today, announced new chairmen for eight state liaison committees -- in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Federal Territories, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Said, who has appointed deputy liaison committee chairman, said he was ready to extend full cooperation to Hishammuddin to strengthen Umno in Terengganu to face the next general election.
The Umno leadership crisis in Terengganu came to a head when 10 state assemblymen from Umno "boycotted" the state assembly sitting citing threats against any attempt to table a vote of no-confidence in Ahmad.
Political observers see the change in the Umno leadership in the state as an effort to calm down any turmoil.
Five state Umno liaison committees are headed by the party's top leaders.
The Selangor committee is chaired by Najib himself, the Federal Territories committee by Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Kedah and Penang committees by vice-presidents Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, respectively, while the Kelantan committee is helmed by supreme council member Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.
Political observer Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain sees the appointment of the eight new state liaison committee chairmen as "cooling down" the situation at the level of the grassroots.
"What causes turmoil is the tussle for the post of chairman among leaders in the respective states. By appointing outsiders to the post, these other people have nothing much to shout about," said the lecturer in Malaysian Public and Political Policy at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
According to Ahmad Atory, the turmoil was usually sparked off by the existence of "factions" which disunited the party.
He also described the appointment of Mohd Shafie, a Sabah Umno leader, to helm the Kedah liaison committee as something unexpected.
"Parochialism is very strong in Kedah, but I hope they can accept it because he (Shafie) would have been picked by Datuk Seri Najib based on his capability," he said.
On the appointment of former Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz to the supreme council, Ahmad Atory said it was not unexpected because the former international trade and industry minister was definitely an experienced person.
"I am confident he has the capacity to help Umno regain its strength," he said.
However, sources in Umno said the appointment of Rafidah to the supreme council was to appease her supporters after she had lost to Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in the election for the top Wanita Umno post last month.
They said the same held true in the appointment of Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim who "lost" the post of Perlis Umno liaison committee chairman which he had held for almost four terms.
"This is the president's way to appease and reunite Umno, which has factions. Let's see the outcome," the sources said.
This makes Datuk Seri Ahmad Said the only menteri besar from Umno not appointed as the chairman of an Umno state liaison committee.
However, Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said, when announcing the Umno appointments Friday, that any menteri besar not appointed as chairman of the state liaison committee would be invited to attend meetings of the Umno supreme council.
Najib, who had chaired a meeting of the supreme council today, announced new chairmen for eight state liaison committees -- in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Federal Territories, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Said, who has appointed deputy liaison committee chairman, said he was ready to extend full cooperation to Hishammuddin to strengthen Umno in Terengganu to face the next general election.
The Umno leadership crisis in Terengganu came to a head when 10 state assemblymen from Umno "boycotted" the state assembly sitting citing threats against any attempt to table a vote of no-confidence in Ahmad.
Political observers see the change in the Umno leadership in the state as an effort to calm down any turmoil.
Five state Umno liaison committees are headed by the party's top leaders.
The Selangor committee is chaired by Najib himself, the Federal Territories committee by Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Kedah and Penang committees by vice-presidents Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, respectively, while the Kelantan committee is helmed by supreme council member Datuk Mustapa Mohamed.
Political observer Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain sees the appointment of the eight new state liaison committee chairmen as "cooling down" the situation at the level of the grassroots.
"What causes turmoil is the tussle for the post of chairman among leaders in the respective states. By appointing outsiders to the post, these other people have nothing much to shout about," said the lecturer in Malaysian Public and Political Policy at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
According to Ahmad Atory, the turmoil was usually sparked off by the existence of "factions" which disunited the party.
He also described the appointment of Mohd Shafie, a Sabah Umno leader, to helm the Kedah liaison committee as something unexpected.
"Parochialism is very strong in Kedah, but I hope they can accept it because he (Shafie) would have been picked by Datuk Seri Najib based on his capability," he said.
On the appointment of former Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz to the supreme council, Ahmad Atory said it was not unexpected because the former international trade and industry minister was definitely an experienced person.
"I am confident he has the capacity to help Umno regain its strength," he said.
However, sources in Umno said the appointment of Rafidah to the supreme council was to appease her supporters after she had lost to Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in the election for the top Wanita Umno post last month.
They said the same held true in the appointment of Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim who "lost" the post of Perlis Umno liaison committee chairman which he had held for almost four terms.
"This is the president's way to appease and reunite Umno, which has factions. Let's see the outcome," the sources said.
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