UMNO Youth wants party president Najib Razak and vice-president Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamid to continue to lead the party if Barisan Nasional wins in the 14th general election.

Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, in his speech, urged the wing’s grassroots to continue to give their support and back Najib and Zahid to continue leading the party.

As there is no provision for an acting deputy president in Umno’s constitution, Zahid is vice-president, carrying on the duties of deputy president of the party. 

The previous deputy president, Muhyiddin Yassin, was sacked in June last year after he voiced out his frustrations with Najib’s handling of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

Muhyiddin was elected as deputy president in the 2009 Umno elections, beating Muhamad Muhamad Taib with 1,575 votes to 916.

“With that, on this stage, the Youth wing wants to propose that when we win in the general election, Insyallah (with God’s grace), the president and the deputy president posts will not be contested.

“Throw the questions (of who will get the posts) far away. Now, we must focus to ensure Barisan Nasional wins big,” he said at the Umno Youth delegates conference at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Umno was due to hold party elections this year but postponed the internal polls until after the next election. – December 6, 2017.