PETALING JAYA: Umno must convene an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to debate calls for fresh party elections, said a political analyst.
Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia said an EGM was needed to determine whether Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s recent call for another round of party polls has the backing of the majority of its members.
“If it can be ascertained that the elections have the support of both the party leadership and rank and file, then fair elections should be conducted, allowing opponents of the present leadership to contest.
“That’s why Umno needs to convene an EGM to address it,” he told FMT.
Fauzi said if Umno decides to hold fresh elections, the top two posts must be contested.
He said allowing young aspirants to compete against party warlords for the posts of president and deputy president would “herald a new democratic era” for Umno.
“The present leadership should be open enough to acknowledge that intra-party contests are a testament to the wide availability of talent within the party,” he said.
Tengku Razaleigh had said earlier this week the elections were necessary to rejuvenate Umno following its poor performance in the Aug 12 state elections.
The former Gua Musang MP said the party would only experience genuine renewal through a fresh election process.
This is despite Umno conducting its 2022 party polls only five months ago. The posts of president and deputy president were not contested after the party’s general assembly approved a no-contest motion in January.
However, Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi cautioned Umno against the move, saying it might lead to more divisions within the party.
“The calls for a change in top leadership mostly come from adversaries within Umno or those who are not aligned with the top five,” he said. - FMT
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