PENAMPANG: Barisan Nasional (BN) should have a second deputy chairman who is appointed from among component leaders from Sabah and Sarawak.
United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) is expected to call for the creation of the additional deputy post through a resolution to be adopted at the final day of its 13th triennial delegates convention here today.
The resolution would also propose that the second BN deputy chairman would serve as the second deputy prime minister.
This is to ensure a more balanced implementation of development policies between Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak, in line with the “equal partners” concept that was adopted when Malaysia was founded in 1963.
A copy of the resolution was distributed to the media yesterday, as Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin delivered his officiating speech at the convention.
It stated that UPKO is urging the Prime Minister as the BN chairman to come up with a policy to further enhance the BN’s power sharing concept, to empower and encourage all component parties to play significant roles as an important member of the BN coalition.
It was noted that the post of chairman, deputy chairman, secretary general, treasurer general, Wanita and Youth chief, executive secretary as well as the BN headquarters are all at the Umno head office.
This, according to the resolution, has led to a perception that BN is Umno and Umno is BN, a clear reflection of Umno’s dominance over other component parties.
Furthermore, Umno also dominates the posts of chairman and board of directors member in statutory bodies including in Sabah, apart from politically appointed posts at district and village levels such as district officers, native chiefs, and village heads who are appointed directly by elected representatives.
This situation has caused dissatisfaction among other BN component parties as well as the people in general, the resolution stated further.
Asked to comment on the resolution, Muhyiddin said UPKO can forward any of its proposals to the BN leadership and it would be discussed thoroughly among BN leaders.
“We have a channel (through) the BN supreme council where all leaders are there and they can bring up any issue they would like to be discussed. Normally before anything can be decided, there need to be a consensus from other members.
“It’s up to them if they want to bring it up for discussion, we will talk openly and then there will be a debate on the pros and cons,” he said.
The four-page political resolution also calls for the implementation of 40:20:20 quota for Bumiputera Islam, Bumiputera non-Islam and Non-Bumiputera in government administration and the public sector, as well as in the distribution of politically appointed posts, scholarships and government projects.
It also proposed that the state government ensured that the appointment of District Officers, Native Chiefs and Native Chief Representatives to be distributed fairly among all component parties based on racial composition of the district, and have the village chiefs and JKKK chairman to be elected instead of appointed.