No urgent need for deputy BN chief post

Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin today said the vice-president’s posts held by other BN component party leaders were good enough platforms from which they could express themselves. Hence, there was not really an urgent need to create an addition deputy chief’s post.

Muhyiddin said this in response to MCA Youth’s call for the leadership composition of BN to be restructured so that an additional No 2 post can be created and held by the Chinese-based party.

"That is their opinion as they might have their own reasons for that (but) now all the BN vice-presidents are held by the party component leaders and they have every right to speak their minds," said Muhyiddin at his Hari Raya open house in Kuala Lumpur today.

He, however, said if the BN hierarchy is to be reviewed, the matter should be discussed thoroughly.

"MCA said they needed the (deputy) post to represent their race. But what about the Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Muruts and other races? I’m sure they would also want something to represent their race.

"All because they said they needed to be at the same level but they are already at the same level. So this needs to be seriously considered," he said, adding that BN respected all its vice-presidents equally.

"I believe MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other component party leaders have their own roles that we should respect. But if the (additional deputy post) could upgrade the BN (leadership) proficiency, then we may have to consider it," said Muhyiddin.

At present, the BN deputy chair goes to Umno and by convention is held by the Umno deputy president by convention. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is current BN deputy chairperson.

On a different note, Muhyiddin rebutted claims that he was pushing for the transition plan agreed by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak to take place earlier than March.

There was speculation that he was slamming the transition plan when he recently said the campaign period for the Umno party elections was too long.

"I need to correct this interpretation. When I said the campaign period was too long, it did not mean that I wanted the transition to take place earlier," said Muhyiddin, stressing that the campaign period had nothing to do with the transition plan.

"These are two different subjects - the campaign period and the transition plan and I respect the transition plan.

"But people make their own interpretations and that is their right. But I never said more than that because it was a statement of fact," he added.

Muhyiddin, who announced his candidacy for the deputy president post on last week, has so far secured 36 nominations. He needs only three more nominations to qualify for the contest next March.

The 61-year-old Umno stalwart has also been touted as the best running mate for prime minister-designate Najib who announced his candidacy for the president’s post last week.

Under the original plan, Abdullah, the Umno president, was to have handed over power to his deputy in June 2010.

However, it was decided later that the transition of power take place in next March, and the Umno general assembly scheduled for December this year has been postponed also to March next year to facilitate this.