Reluctance to hold contests
for top 2 party posts
‘Malaysian culture’, says
Shahril
The former Umno information chief asks if preventing leadership contests will deter young people from engaging in politics.
Last year, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin retained the presidency while opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin was named his deputy as they were the only candidates on the list when nominations closed.
Muhyiddin had also, prior to the polls, “leaked” the Bersatu candidates’ list which saw former ministers Ronald Kiandee, Radzi Jidin and Ahmad Faizal Azumu being elected as vice-presidents to fulfil the leadership “formula”.
“This has become a culture in Malaysia. Even in Bersatu, there are no contests,” Shahril said in the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.
At the Umno 2022 annual general assembly held in 2023, the party approved a motion for the posts of president and deputy president not to be contested at its elections.
Shahril was commenting on a recent statement by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Akin that discussions were under way to leave the top two PKR posts uncontested.
Shamsul had said this arrangement was to ensure Anwar and economy minister Rafizi Ramli would retain their posts as president and deputy president.
Shahril’s co-host, former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, said the fear Umno had in holding a contest for the top leadership stemmed from past experience of contests leading to splits in the party.
He cited the two camps that were created when factions aligned to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Dr Mahathir Mohamad contested for leadership posts in the late 1980s.
Shahril wondered aloud if preventing leadership contests would deter young people from engaging in politics.
Khairy said that while a politically engaged minority might demand a level playing field, most young Malaysians were indifferent to party dynamics.
“Honestly, a big portion of youths don’t care what happens in a party. Those who are interested in politics will call for a fair contest, but most are not paying attention to the details,” the former health minister said.
Malayoos , especially, are still a Feudal people.
ReplyDeleteOpening the top rungs of a party power structure to a vote in an election may be normal in a democracy, but is considered a form of disloyalty in a Feudal pyramid.