Umno presidential candidate Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today advised party leaders not to "kill each other" in the run-up to the party polls.
The Gua Musang MP, popularly known as Ku Li, said leaders contesting for posts must let the past remain in the past.
He was asked to comment on Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin's criticism of former Umno president and ousted premier Najib Abdul Razak after the May 9 polls.
"That's what I heard, that Najib feels very hurt with what Khairy had said. It is not for me to comment because Khairy may have his reasons," said the Kelantan prince during a press conference after meeting delegates in Seberang Jaya today.
"I don't think we should kill each other, let the past be the past. In case of Najib's situation, let the law take its course. Why should we add salt to injury? That is my passing remarks about the matter," he added.
Najib is currently under probe over allegations of embezzlement and money laundering activities locally and in several countries related to the embattled 1MDB fund.
Ku Li will be contesting for the Umno president post for the second time. He lost out to Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he first ran for the post in 1987.
This time, on June 30, Ku Li will face Umno acting president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Khairy and two others for the party's top post.
165,000 delegates would be casting their votes in 191 divisions nationwide.
Ku Li also spoke about his meeting with Khairy on taking over the party leadership.
"He came to see me and I told him he should take over but he said he cannot afford to do it now.
"Before I offered myself, some people said that I was a coward, that I was running away from my responsibilities," he added.
Asked why the delegates should vote for him, Ku Li said he wants to reverse the leadership order in Umno.
"It used to be top-down kind of relationship. Now we want to go back to the old ways, from the ground up to the top so that the people from the ground will have more voice.
"We want more participation from young boys and girls so that they will provide the continuity to the party," he added.
The former finance minister also lamented that Umno lacked credible leaders in several states like Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Johor.
He cited an incident where the party could not find a replacement for Adnan Yaacob when he wanted to quit the post of Pahang menteri besar.
"We are really short of people, we have insufficient numbers to take over the party leadership at the state or central level.
"I'm no substitute as I'm old. I'm only a stop-gap measure. We need to groom leaders quickly so they can take over," he said. - Mkini
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