DECADES of Umno’s no-contest culture for top leadership posts, deference to party elders, and centralised power are now preventing it from readily accepting change by electing younger leaders, political analysts said.

As the party holds elections at the end of this month, they said bold and radical change in the form of younger leaders could end up hastening Umno’s demise following its shock defeat at the May 9 general election.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Dr Kartini Aboo Talib said the centralisation of power and hierarchy within Umno couldn’t be eliminated within a month before the Umno elections.

“Umno is still in a state of shock and it needs time to calm down. In the wake of this loss, who is able to come forward?” said the social science lecturer.

The party’s long-held traditions of centralised power at the top will not allow rapid change and transformation will take time, she said.

“We have to provide some space for Umno to reform. The changes cannot be done immediately, radical changes will cause Umno to die,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Umno’s elections comes after Barisan Nasional lost federal power in the 14th general election.

By party, Umno still has the largest share of parliamentary seats at 54, out of the 79 BN won. But that was cut down to 60, after four Sarawak BN parties left the coalition to start an independent alliance.

Nominations for all party positions opened on June 1, and the party will elect its Supreme Council members, including president and deputy president, on June 30.

In the run up to the party polls, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has called for change and a different political culture if the party is to regain the public’s confidence and stay relevant.

Khairy will be contesting for a vice-president’s post.

But no one younger has come forward to contest the two top posts after former party president Najib Razak stepped down following BN’s defeat in GE14.

Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is currently assuming the duties of party president, remains the only candidate confirmed for the top post.

The deputy president’s post currently has two candidates, former Negri Sembilan menteri besar Mohamad Hasan and Umno information chief Annuar Musa – both also old faces.

International Islamic University Malaysia senior lecturer Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar said Umno’s hierarchy had sidelined many young leaders with potential.

“Umno’s culture doesn’t give any space for new leaders to rise. Many quarters will try to bring them down (if they try to lead),” the political science lecturer said.

The conditions imposed by the party on members who wanted to contest Supreme Council member posts were also to Umno’s own detriment, he said.

“The conditions are a loss to Umno. It’s something that Umno should rethink,” he said, adding however that now was not the right time to change the existing constraints.

Some of these conditions include the requirement that those wishing to contest a Supreme Council post must have been a committee member at the division level for a three-year term. Those vying for division committee posts must have been Umno members for at least three years.

Senior lecturer from Universiti Malaya, Awang Azman Awang Pawi, said Umno should be more open and democratic by allowing more candidates to contest.

“As the largest Malay party with three million members, it’s time for Umno to increase its number of candidates so that the grassroots can have more choice, instead of having just one or two candidates for one position.

Besides Khairy, 43, seven others are going for the three vice-president posts available.

They are former Perak menteri besar Zambry Abdul Kadir, former Johor menteri besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin, former second finance minister Johari Abdul Ghani, and current Supreme Council members Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, Mahdzir Khalid, Shahidan Kassim, and Ismail Sabri Yaakob. – June 13, 2018.