KUALA LUMPUR: There will no change in the line up of Umno’s Vice Presidents as incumbents Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein all retained their vice-president post in the party’s elections last night.
Ahmad Zahid and Shafie were runaway winners in the race while the race for the third VP post was between Hishammuddin and Datuk Mukhhriz Mahathir.
By 11pm that race was over with Hishammuddin unofficially garnering 92 votes ahead of his closest contender Mukhriz with 77.
The race between Hishammuddin and Mukhriz was close in the initial stages of the vote count but he started pulling away after over half the 191 divisional votes had been declared.
The count as at 10pm has Ahmad Zahid with 166 votes followed by Shafie (152), Hishammuddin (92), Mukhriz (77), Tan Sri Isa Samad (8) and Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam (7).
Ahmad Zahid thanked the grassroots members and his Bagan Datoh division for their trust in returning him as Umno vice-president.
“I thank everybody in the machinery, my friends who have helped me and the delegates who have put me back among the Umno leadership,” he said in a statement after it was clear that he had attained an unassailable lead.