With due respect to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak, they should allow Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, their long-time friend, to contest one of the top two posts of Umno during the party's polls in September.

Even a supreme council member's post or a vice-president post would be okay for Ku Li (Razaleigh's nickname).

Ku Li is an asset to Umno. He is a leader who is of the same calibre as Mahathir Mohamad and Musa Hitam. He has rendered outstanding service to the country and has the respect of non-Malays and Malays alike.

The Chinese and Indians will always remember Ku Li as the man who upheld the idea of balance between Malays and non-Malays in the country's social contract, and who opposed the 'ultra' positions of certain Malay extremists inside Umno.

Ku Li is also the modern-day Hang Jebat, an honour he shares with Musa Hitam. Both of them dared to challenge Mahathir to uphold democracy in Umno, but paid dearly for their 'rebellion'.

As a modern and progressive royal, Ku Li helped Mahathir lessen the excesses of the errant Malay rulers such as the Sultan of Johor.

As a reluctant oppositionist kicked out of Barisan Nasional by Mahathir between 1987 and 1996, Ku Li was instrumental in creating the first united opposition, bringing together parties of opposing ideologies under two separate but affiliated fronts called Gagasan Rakyat and Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah.

The Malay culture of feudalism was shattered forever because of this modern and reformist prince from Kelantan.

Ku Li can never be a threat to Pak Lah and Najib. He is one of their mentors, besides Mahathir and Musa Hitam.

His contesting of the top posts of Umno is merely to uphold democracy in the party and to show and remind the president and his deputy that in this modern times no one is sacred in the party.

It was this principle that made Pak Lah and Najib and a great many present Umno leaders stand by Ku Li and Musa Hitam in 1987, instead of throwing their lot with Mahathir and Ghafar Baba.

Pak Lah and Najib need not fear Ku Li. As they listen to his advice from time to time, whether or not he wins or loses in September does not matter. He is old and does not aspire to be prime minister any more.

It would be a great if they graciously allow Ku Li to challenge them for the sake of democracy in Umno. If they do so, history will always remember them as progressive leaders who believed in democracy in the biggest party of the country.