Debate for aspiring Umno VPs hard to make happen

Some Umno leaders regarded the suggestion by former Umno deputy president Musa Hitam that all candidates for vice-president debate their ideas as a good one, but difficult to implement due to various reasons.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (right) said the suggestion was not suitable for implementation because of time constraints in the light of the election on Oct 19.

"There is a vast difference in campaigning compared to the past. Now we have to arrange the schedule very much earlier," he told reporters after a ceremony to introduce Umno candidates for the party's polls at the Malacca International Trade Centre today.

Among those present were Umno vice-presidential candidate Mohd Ali Rustam; Umno supreme council candidates Idris Haron and Mohamad Hasan; Maznah Mazlan and Raihan Sulaiman Palestin who are vying for the post of Wanita chief and Puteri Umno chief aspirant Mas Ermiyanti Shamsuddin.

The contest for the vice president posts is a six-cornered fight between Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Mohd Shafie Apdal, Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Mukhriz Mahathir, Mohd Isa Abdul Samad and Mohd Ali.

Khairy said it was not a simple matter to bring all six to a stage now as they were tied with their commitments planned before starting the election campaign.

Narrow mechanism

Meanwhile, Idris said a debate was a narrow mechanism to identify suitable candidates for the vice-president posts.

He preferred a face-to-face meeting with the delegates to enable them to explain their aspirations.

Meanwhile, former Malacca Chief Minister Rahim Tamby Chik (left), who is contesting for a supreme council seat, said it would be an injustice to a candidate if the outcome of the debate was to be used as the yardstick of support of the delegates at the party election.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim said it would not be suitable if the campaign mechanism was changed each time there was a suggestion, such as a debate, being made.

"We formulate the regulations from earlier on and don't want to change the rules daily. This is not good for the party. To me, if we want to debate, open it to all, not just vice-presidential candidates," said the Perlis Umno Liaison Committee chairman, who is also contesting for a supreme council seat.

- Bernama