PM: Umno would struggle if leadership weak

Umno will struggle if its leaders were weak, lacked leadership integrity, virtues and directions to steer and manage the party to strive over challenges, said its outgoing president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Umno needs a responsible, calibre and sincere leadership to make the party stronger and successful," he said when opening the Kepala Batas Umno division annual delegates' meeting in Penang.

Calling on party members to elect their leaders wisely in next March Umno elections, he stressed the new leadership must be capable to revitalise and spur the party to face the next general election.

"Party elections are not to secure personal victories for candidates or their supporters.

"The election results should eventually be a victory for Umno the party as a whole," he told some 450 divisional delegates.

He said Umno would not achieve progress or able to face challenges if the leaders' integrity was suspect, or if they had weak personality and lacked directions in leading the party.

Hence, said the Prime Minister Abdullah, who retained his division head post unopposed, delegates have a important task to vote in candidates with leadership calibre, ability and quality much needed by the party.

"If we can do this, then all will be well. If Umno is in good shape, Malaysians will also be in good shape because Umno's struggle is for Malaysians," he said, adding that only a strong Umno can continue to be a strong backbone for the ruling Barisan Nasional.

End money politics

He expressed hopes for an end to money politics, intense political bickering among candidates and other detrimental activities in the run-up to the party polls.

"We must keep in our minds the party objectives and continue to strengthen them," said Abdullah, who pledged to contribute to the party after he had stepped as Umno president next March.

Abdullah, who was unanimously nominated by the Kepala Batas' 85 branches as the division chief, also spoke of Kepala Batas' contributions to the country, among them were in determining the date for the country's independence on Aug 31, 1957.

The date was proposed by his grandfather, Abdullah Fahim, to Tunku Abdul Rahman and supported by the Kepala Batas Umno division through a motion.

Abdullah also pointed out that the idea to set up Wanita Umno and Umno Youth wings also originated from Kepala Batas.

The Umno president would continue to lead Kepala Batas division to ensure that cooperation among party members remained strong, brushing aside suggestions that he was giving his final division chief's speech to its members.

"How could I say goodbye to Kepala Batas," said the Kepala Batas member of parliament, who promised to voice out his views and aspirations of the grassroots for the benefit of the party after stepping down as prime minister.