No gag order on Umno delegates

The party's secretary-general hopes the delegates will not raise sensitive issues during the annual general assembly.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor today said there was no gag order imposed on the delegates attending the party’s annual general assembly starting next week.

But he hopes that no sensitive issues will be raised during the proceedings.

Adnan also said the meeting, from Nov 27 to Dec 1, would focus on election matters and would avoid touching on issues that could hurt the party’s image.

“The delegates can debate on whatever they want, but since we are a race-based party, let’s not try to hurt the feelings of others,” he told reporters at a briefing on the preparations for the assembly.

Earlier this week it was reported that a “gag order” had been imposed on the delegates to stop them from raising any controversial topic at this year’s meeting.

Political observers were quick to point out that the directive reflected Umno’s attempt to conceal its hardline politics and re-brand itself as a centre-right party.

Umno, the ruling Malay lynchpin, will soon face what will likely be its toughest election to date amid a drop in support from the non-Malays and, most importantly, the large bulk of the newly registered young voters.

With more than three million freshly registered voters, their ballots can sway the election’s outcome.

The new demographics is seen as bipartisan and issue-oriented.

Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s effort to play “Mr Reform” is seen as an election push aimed at wooing this new batch of voters.

But Najib, Umno’s seventh president, faces stiff opposition to his reform plans within his own ranks and the party is said to be split just ahead of the polls.

Recently, the party’s top leadership issued a warning against saboteurs and expelled two members found guilty of sabotage.

While its leaders deny Umno was divided, observers said the move signalled real internal problems and posed a major setback to its election chances.

Adnan and other Umno leaders, however, remain optimistic that the party will close ranks and that this year’s assembly will focus on unity.