THE Umno elections on June 30 will see for the first time, three hats in the ring for the president’s post after years of no-contest that became part of the party’s culture of not rocking the boat.

But Umno is in the “New Malaysia” now where it is the opposition after a severe trouncing in the May 9 elections.

The defeat saw Barisan Nasional, which Umno leads, lose to Pakatan Harapan after more than six decades of governing the country since Merdeka.

There were, at first, views that former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should be president without contest, a suggestion immediately shot down by Umno Youth. 

Umno needs to restore public confidence and regain its credibility, Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said, and needed leadership that could navigate the unchartered waters of being without federal power.

Nominations for the party’s national office-bearers started on June 1 and closes at 5pm today. The full list of contenders for the president, deputy president, three vice-presidents, wing heads and the supreme council will be announced later today.

As of now, Zahid is going agaist entrepreneur and political blogger Rahmar Azim Abdul Aziz, better known as Mat Umno, and the latest contender Gua Musang Umno division head Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Zahid’s current post is vice-president but he has been assuming the duties of the president following Najib Razak’s resignation after losing GE14.

The 81-year-old Ku Li, as the Kelantan prince is called, yesterday ended the guessing game on whether he would go for the president’s post after saying he had to consider his age and health and younger ones in the party who had the capability to lead.

The fight for deputy president, meanwhile, will see party information chief Annuar Musa against former Negri Sembilan menteri besar Mohamad Hasan, who has the support of the Youth wing.

Mohamad had been vocal about Umno’s need to stop its practice of money politics and to acknowledge its mistakes in order to move on.

Vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein will not feature these elections after announcing that he will not contest any post. He had taken on the duties of party deputy president after Umno’s defeat in the general election. 

The three vice-president posts will see a field of eight candidates, six of whom are former cabinet members and two ex-menteris besar.

With Khairy Jamaluddin vacating the Youth chief post to bid for a vice-president’s seat, seven contestants, including his current deputy, Khairul Azman Harun, and the controversial Jamal Md Yunos, are contesting.

Wanita veteran Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is also vacating her post as head of the women’s wing, giving way to three contenders to fill her shoes.

The top post for the young women’s or Puteri wing appears to be a no-contest for now, with only vice-president Zahida Zarik Khan in the running.

Umno amended its constitution in 2009 to allow direct voting by division members for the top posts. Before this, a quota system involving only delegates selected by the divisions could vote for the top office-bearers. Candidates also had to be nominated by divisions, instead of being able to make a direct bid by filing their own nominations. – June 17, 2018.