Kubang Pasu chief: Let members decide on Dr M
Beh Lih YiPublished: Aug 24, 2006 11:30 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
It is up to the Umno Kubang Pasu division members to decide if they want to elect former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a delegate for the party's annual general assembly, said division chief Mohd Johari Baharum today.
It is up to the Umno Kubang Pasu division members to decide if they want to elect former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a delegate for the party's annual general assembly, said division chief Mohd Johari Baharum today.
"That's his (Mahathir) right. He said he wants to contest and the one to determine this will be the members on Sept 9 (during the division meeting). It's entirely up to the delegates," added Johari, who is also deputy internal security minister and Kubang Pasu parliamentarian.
The Umno Kubang Pasu division was headed by Mahathir until his retirement in 2003.
Asked on the sentiment among division members regarding Mahathir's intention, Johari said: "I don't know what happened since I am here (in Kuala Lumpur). It is not a big deal, he wants to contest. That's common."
However, Johari, when met in Parliament, said he has yet to be approached by division members who have expressed their intention to elect Mahathir.
On whether he would want to see Mahathir elected, he replied: "Hard to say. I don't know, it's up to the delegates."
This afternoon, Johari was seen having a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz at Parliament's MPs' lounge.
Asked later if the meeting was related to Mahathir, Johari said: "We just chit-chatted and had coffee only."
We won't stop him
Meanwhile, Nazri who was quizzed on the same issue during a press conference earlier, said Umno will not stop the former premier from contesting as he is still a party member.
Nazri, who is also Umno supreme council member, said the state Umno chief will have the final say as to which delegates will be chosen to speak at the party's general assembly in November.
"This is a system which has been practised since Mahathir's time," he said.
Commenting on the same issue, MIC president and Works Minister S Samy Vellu said Mahathir had the right to contest since he was an Umno member. MCA president Ong Ka Ting also expressed the same view.
Both leaders however declined to comment on their personal stand regarding Mahathir being a delegate.
Mahathir said he has decided to accept the nomination to contest for one of the seven delegates position for the Kubang Pasu division.
He hopes to be given an opportunity to speak at the assembly should he be elected but claimed that "some people would try to talk me out of it".
Mahathir, who has been crossing swords with the current administration, has repeatedly alleged the Umno leadership of preventing him from speaking to members. This has been denied by the party.
"That's his (Mahathir) right. He said he wants to contest and the one to determine this will be the members on Sept 9 (during the division meeting). It's entirely up to the delegates," added Johari, who is also deputy internal security minister and Kubang Pasu parliamentarian. The Umno Kubang Pasu division was headed by Mahathir until his retirement in 2003.
Asked on the sentiment among division members regarding Mahathir's intention, Johari said: "I don't know what happened since I am here (in Kuala Lumpur). It is not a big deal, he wants to contest. That's common."
However, Johari, when met in Parliament, said he has yet to be approached by division members who have expressed their intention to elect Mahathir.
On whether he would want to see Mahathir elected, he replied: "Hard to say. I don't know, it's up to the delegates."
This afternoon, Johari was seen having a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz at Parliament's MPs' lounge.
Asked later if the meeting was related to Mahathir, Johari said: "We just chit-chatted and had coffee only."
We won't stop him
Meanwhile, Nazri who was quizzed on the same issue during a press conference earlier, said Umno will not stop the former premier from contesting as he is still a party member.
Nazri, who is also Umno supreme council member, said the state Umno chief will have the final say as to which delegates will be chosen to speak at the party's general assembly in November. "This is a system which has been practised since Mahathir's time," he said.
Commenting on the same issue, MIC president and Works Minister S Samy Vellu said Mahathir had the right to contest since he was an Umno member. MCA president Ong Ka Ting also expressed the same view.
Both leaders however declined to comment on their personal stand regarding Mahathir being a delegate.
Mahathir said he has decided to accept the nomination to contest for one of the seven delegates position for the Kubang Pasu division.
He hopes to be given an opportunity to speak at the assembly should he be elected but claimed that "some people would try to talk me out of it".
Mahathir, who has been crossing swords with the current administration, has repeatedly alleged the Umno leadership of preventing him from speaking to members. This has been denied by the party.
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