KHAIRY Jamaluddin wants the culture of not contesting top posts in Umno stopped.

The Umno Youth chief said the practice had contributed to people losing faith in the party.

“We cannot have this no-contest rule any more in Umno. You are sending the public a bad message.

“This no-contest business was one of the reasons people lost faith in us in the first place. (It looks) as if we don’t open a democratic space for our members.

“We had better stop this nonsense of no-contest and all that,” he said at party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Khairy said no position in Umno was sacred.

Earlier, Malacca Umno had endorsed vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to take over as party president, with Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin as deputy president and vice-president, respectively.

Bukit Katil Umno division chief Mohd Ali Rustam does not want the top three party posts to be contested in the next party elections.

Umno Youth last year proposed that Najib Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should be allowed to retain the party president and deputy president’s posts uncontested in the next party elections.

The proposal was put to the vote and passed at the Umno general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre in December.

Meetings for branches, Wanita, Youth, and Puteri start from tomorrow until June 10, while division-level meetings are set to be held on June 30, ahead of this year’s Umno general assembly.

On the travel ban imposed on top Umno leaders, Khairy said the present government had good reasons for it.  

“I’m sure they have their reasons. I hope whatever decisions are made regarding travel bans and investigations will follow the due process of law,” he said.  

The Pakatan Harapan government, led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has barred former Umno president and prime minister Najib Razak from leaving the country.  

Najib is being investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.  

Police have raided several properties connected to Najib, including units in Pavilion Residences, over the last three days.  

Police are continuing their search at Najib’s private home in Jalan Langgak Duta today, entering its fourth day. – May 19, 2018.