`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Friday, August 14, 2015

Disgruntled Umno members find new ways to censure Najib

Umno's Women wing members in Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's Pagoh division in Johor at a recent meeting. Several divisions have discussed a motion to reinstate party elections next year. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 14, 2015.Umno's Women wing members in Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's Pagoh division in Johor at a recent meeting. Several divisions have discussed a motion to reinstate party elections next year. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 14, 2015.Umno members disgruntled with Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is battling the toughest challenge to his presidency, have been trying new ways to censure him as the party's grassroots meetings heat up.
Some members at the branch level, which is the lowest in the party hierarchy, have tried putting forth motions to reinstate party elections that had been scheduled next year but which had been postponed.
If the motions are accepted, this would allow the president to be challenged and defeated, before Umno goes to the general election in 2018.
However, Najib’s hold on the party’s 199 division chiefs - middle tier politicians responsible for managing the Umno grassroots – means many of these moves get blocked before they become actual threats.
In the Kota Raja division for instance, a member put forth a motion that would get the party’s elections reinstated next year, said deputy division chief Mohd Hamidi Abu Bakar.
Hamidi agreed with the proposal, but since the division’s top officials did not call for a vote so that it could either be adopted or rejected, the motion was left hanging.
For Hamidi, two years is enough for the grassroots to evaluate party leaders.
"To me, the motion is good, there has been enough time for the grassroots to evaluate division chiefs and top leaders," he told The Malaysian Insider.
In June, Najib announced that party elections scheduled for next year would be deferred by 18 months.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin continues to be invited to official Umno meetings, even after his removal from the Cabinet, a decision which does not sit well with Johor Umno members. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 14, 2015.Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin continues to be invited to official Umno meetings, even after his removal from the Cabinet, a decision which does not sit well with Johor Umno members. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 14, 2015.The announcement was made before Najib dropped party deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin from the Cabinet, a decision unpopular with the grassroots.
Similar motions were brought at divisional meetings in Batu Sapi, Sabah and Tenggara, Johor.
Jafar Mustapha, the Batu Sapi Umno division's branch chief, said the motion to reconvene the elections was brought at the divisional meeting last weekend.
"The election of Umno Supreme Council members and division leaders need to take place next year to evaluate how strong the trust of grassroots and delegates nationwide is of their leaders," Jafar told The Malaysian Insider.
He said the decision to postpone party elections by 18 months is no longer relevant in light of the current political situation in the party.
He said the motion was brought from the branch to the division meeting but no final decision has been made on whether it would be taken to the general assembly.
"I am the head of a branch so it is easy to bring forth a motion to chastise our leaders, but the divisional leaders might not approve it," he said.
In Tenggara, a similar motion was brought to the division meeting but it was rejected on technical grounds, said the division's youth committee member, Asrul Esreen Mohd Salleh.
Censure not in party constitution
Moves to censure the president are being mounted as a reaction to Najib's Cabinet reshuffle, his botched handling of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal as well the controversy over how RM2.6 billion went to his personal bank accounts.
In the Kluang division meeting last week, the Taman Datuk Amar Diraja branch tabled a motion for the party to “act aggressively against Najib” if the president did not resolve the issues.
Johor Umno committee secretary Mad Jais Sarday believed that the grassroots should be allowed to voice their views no matter how strident they sound.
But at the same time, he said a motion of no confidence would only be detrimental to the party.
"We cannot stop members from voicing their views... If there are any members who want to voice out their views, I encourage them to do it through the assembly," he said.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi says the party's constitution has no room for chastising the president through a no-confidence motion.  – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 14, 2015.Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi says the party's constitution has no room for chastising the president through a no-confidence motion. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 14, 2015.
He also denied talk that Johor Umno would bring a motion of no-confidence against Najib even though many of its grassroots members disagreed with the sacking of Muhyiddin, the state’s most senior leader.
"We will not do it... we want to solve the problem, if the no-confidence vote is done, it will weaken the party," added the Mahkota assemblyman who is state executive councillor for education, information, cooperatives and entreprenuer development.
Supreme Council member Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, however, argued that the party’s constitution did not allow motions of no confidence against the president.
"(We) cannot simply table a no confidence vote at the Umno general assembly. The party constitution does not allow it. If it does, it would have happened a long time ago.”
For instance, when members wanted to challenge former president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, they did it through the elections rather than through a no-confidence motion.
"If (we) want to change, it has to be done through elections, that's why we decided to postpone the elections, to prevent this from happening," said the Seri Gading MP.
- TMI

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.