Don’t silence state reps at Umno assembly, says Annuar

 

Annuar Musa, a former BN secretary-general, pictured speaking at an Umno meeting. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Senior Umno member Annuar Musa has criticised a decision to deny elected state delegates the chance to speak at the party’s 2020 general assembly. He said the decision was unwise, as it shows an unwillingness to entertain the voices of grassroot members.

He said the chairmen of the state liaison committees were presidential appointees and would not be in a position to take a stand on issues in opposition to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Limiting the platform provided by the general assembly solely to those in the political bureau would defeat the purpose of the delegates conference, as it was an arena for the voice of grassroot members to be heard.

Annuar, a former secretary-general of Barisan Nasional, questioned how the president’s address would be debated by members of the supreme council when it was they who were responsible for moving the motion to approve it.

If the decision were allowed to stand, “then it will be proven that our party does not respect freedom of speech, denies the rights of the grassroots, and will face accusations that the general assembly has been manipulated on behalf of certain groups,” Annuar said.

“The special thing about the general assembly is that it’s an arena for delegates to field their views,” he said. In his 32 years of being an elected delegate, “this is the first time the delegate chosen to be a spokesperson has been denied their opportunity and replaced by the chairman of the state liaison committee, a politician and supreme council member”. - FMT