Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah), who will shortly be formally installed as Umno president, has reminded the candidates standing in the party polls next month not to use the Kuala Berang by-election to campaign for themselves.

He wants them to concentrate on helping the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, Mohd Zawawi Ismail. The prime minister does not want Umno members to be overconfident about retaining Kuala Berang.

Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has also made similar statements. The deputy prime minister warned Umno supporters that the mood of the electorate in the by-election may not be the same as during the last general election.

Ambitious Umno members who are eager to win a Youth Exco, Wanita, Supreme Council (SC} or vice-president positions should heed and abide by Pak Lah's reminder. They need to remind themselves that the top Umno leadership has already given them enough opportunities to campaign elsewhere.

They have been permitted to speak and campaign via the media as long as they do not launch personal attacks or undermine the positions of other candidates. This relaxation of campaigning guidelines was something not seen during the Mahathir era. As such, they should make full use of the opportunity.

It cannot be denied that many candidates are under increased pressure as the date for the party polls draws near. There has been news that the candidates for vice-president and Supreme Council posts are now encamped in Kuala Lumpur.

If they cannot be physically present in the capital city, at the very least their representatives or campaign managers will be wandering from one meeting to another in various hotels to promote their respective bosses.

There has even been news that there were some candidates who forced themselves onto the press and asked to be interviewed. This following publication of special reports in the mainstream media to introduce the candidates standing for SC and vice-president posts.

And when the mainstream media was not enough for those who had high ambitions, they even accosted the low-circulation 'mosquito' papers.

New basis

The heat of campaigning grows hotter with each passing day. Candidates with positions in government are ever more 'hardworking'.

Everyday there will be a meeting or official visit of some variety. At each function, there will be a statement to stress, a warning about some vision, a proposal, an agenda or new basis for something, in order to show how effectively the candidate has been serving the rakyat.

The candidates who benefit the most from such opportunities are those with federal government positions. Ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries are free to campaign by taking advantage of their official duties and jurisdictions.

Those who are menteri besar or chief ministers are fortunate as they have platforms to speak and be heard from. However, vice-presidential candidate Adnan Yaakob (Tok Nan) still considers himself unfortunate because he can only speak within the boundaries of Pahang.

Never mind, Tok Nan ... the 47th national-level Merdeka Day celebrations will be held this year in Kuantan. Make full use of that chance to promote yourself!

It can be seen that Tok Nan is under heavier pressure than other vice-presidential candidates. He had to issue a statement that he is serious about contesting for the post, and was not just making a show for cheap publicity.

His agenda, should he be picked as one of the vice-presidents, is to sit on the Umno Management Board. From that position, he wants to change or correct the direction of the party.

Actually, compared to Tok Nan, there are many candidates who are in more unfortunate positions, for example Shahrir Samad. He is the only MP for Johor Bahru, as well as chairman of the Backbenchers Club. He only has a small platform, but he remains confident and calm.

Open concept

By using his position as an independent candidate not beholden to the government, he can offer himself as a grassroots candidate. Shahrir wants to highlight an 'open concept' in the party leadership.

He wants to speak up for the Malays. The proteg of Musa Hitam has described Umno as the parliament of the Malays.

The abstract notion of Shahrir may have the support of the grassroots level of Umno. However, how will it be received by Umno delegates? We will have to wait till September to see if Shahrir's open concept is valued by the delegates.

Incumbent vice-president Muhammad Mohd Taib, who is defending his position, is luckier than Shahrir. Even though he is without a position in government, his position as Number Three in the party affords him many opportunities to speak.

In addition, he has been named as the Kuala Berang by-election coordinator. That is seen by delegates as an endorsement from the top party leadership. In one stroke, being named as the by-election coordinator has made the former Selangor Menteri Besar a front-runner in the vice-presidential race.

Many Umno observers opine that Pak Lah purposely gave that opportunity to Muhd Taib even though Idris Jusoh was more suitable for the task in Kuala Berang. Success in retaining Kuala Berang, especially with an increased majority, will surely translate into better chances in Muhd Taib retaining his vice-presidency.

But other vice-presidential candidate, do not be envious... 'tuah ayam nampak di kaki' as the Malays say and the luck of 'Mike Tyson' (Muhd Taib) may be in Kuala Berang.

Grassroots

However, with all the passion seen to win top party posts, we should take our hats off to the leaders who were ready to make way for other candidates.

For example, Perak Menteri Besar Tajol Rosli withdrew himself from the contest for SC seats even though he had a good chance of winning. He withdrew in order to give others a chance, as well as to concentrate his attention on Perak.

Other menteris besar who are contesting for posts should follow his example because traditionally, Umno has decreed that all menteris besar and chief ministers from the party are automatically made SC members even if they did not win a seat during the party polls.

As September draws near, candidates campaign ever more aggressively in a variety of ways and strategies. There have even been reports of poison pen letters circulating.

We shall see who will be the victors, and who will be the vanquished.

However, this writer feels dissatisfied that the results of the polls next month will only reflect the will of the delegates, not the aspirations of grassroots organisations. As Tok Nan said, in the nominations for president, deputy president, vice-Presidents and SC, divisional delegates played no part whatsoever, and just complied with the decision of divisional heads..

Such a scenario will be repeated at the general assembly, with delegates more likely to comply with the desire of their respective state Umno communications head or menteri besar.

What's even more saddening are the many instances of delegates bowing to the will of money politics.

Where can the grassroots find a voice, especially if someone like Shahrir is defeated?