Revive quota system for top two Umno posts: Salleh

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KOTA BELUD: Sabah Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak suggested the quota system for the posts of president and deputy president be revived.

He said the move was thought to be relevant by taking into account the views of numerous quarters lately who wanted both the top party posts to be uncontested in the party election this year.

“More importantly, the reintroduction of the quota system for candidacy to the post of president and deputy president is to ensure those contesting the two posts have credibility as leaders,” he told Bernama after chairing the Kota Belud Umno division meeting here yesterday.

Salleh, who is also Kota Belud Umno division chief, said the quota system for the posts of president and deputy president was the best mechanism to ensure the integrity of the party as the backbone in ruling the country.

Otherwise, he said, anybody including those without credibility could offer themselves to contest for the two posts, which was not good for the party.

“Meanwhile, other posts including vice-presidents, supreme council members (AMT), division heads and all wings of the party can use the existing nomination and polling systems,” he said.

This, he said, was in line with the spirit of the amendment of the constitution of Umno which was made previously, which enabled more members to decide on the direction of the party leadership.

The former Chief Minister said the spirit in the amendment of the constitution must be defended to ensure the continuity of the party struggle.

Prior to this, candidates aspiring to contest for the post of president must get 30 percent nomination from 191 divisions, deputy president (20 percent), vice-president (10 percent) and supreme council members (five percent).

On April 24, 2009, the Umno Supreme Council agreed that the party constitution, touching on the method and process of election, be amended so that it was more transparent, open and democratic.

The amendment to the Umno constitution was made at the Umno Annual General Assembly in October the same year. – Bernama