Mukhriz raises the stakes in VP race with 1.2m SMS blast plus “windfall” for party branches - sources

Mukhriz is putting in some aggressive measures in the final day of campaigning for the VP race in the Umno polls tomorrow. The Malaysian Insider pic, October 18, 2013.Umno vice-president hopeful Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has revved up his campaign by sending out an estimated 1.2 million SMS appealing to Umno delegates to vote for him and, if his critics are to be believed, is handing out the cash too.

Party insiders and his supporters said the Kedah Menteri Besar still has a good chance to win despite ground reports and his father, influential former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad suggesting he may not stand a chance as he was not among those endorsed by the leadership.

"His machinery is going around the country wooing younger Umno supporters," said a grassroots leader familiar with Mukhriz's campaign officials.

The leader also told The Malaysian Insider money or "hujan emas" (windfall) will hit the divisions and branch members.

"From the information we received, since this morning, Mukhriz's machinery had gone all over the country," he said but refused to reveal the amount distributed to delegates.

Some 146,000 delegates will be voting for new office-bearers tomorrow in an "electoral college" system following amendments to the party's constitution in 2009.

However, the grassroots leader cautioned that the new voting system will not guarantee a win to any candidate.

"For one, we have a bigger group of delegates voting. They might openly agree with their division chiefs on who to vote but we don't know who they'll subsequently vote for at the end of the day," he said.

A Johor division leader confirmed Mukhriz's supporters were campaigning more aggressively since this morning.

"They are actively wooing delegates, especially the young," he said.

Besides Mukhriz, the other contenders for the three vice-president spots are Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad and former Malacca chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.

They will be facing off incumbents Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. 

Although it is hard to predict Mukhriz's chances, party sources said about 80,000 of the delegates comprised youths and Mukhriz will have a good chance of winning if he manages to get 50% of the support from this group.