FORMER Selangor menteri besar Dr Khir Toyo, who was convicted for graft, is trying to stage a comeback by vying for a place on the Umno Supreme Council.  

Dr Khir, 52, was menteri besar from 2000 to 2008, and state opposition leader from 2008 to 2010.

In 2010, he was charged with abuse of power and corruption over the purchase of a house in Shah Alam.

He was found guilty of using his position to obtain land and a large bungalow in Shah Alam for a fraction of the market price, and was sentenced to 12 months’ jail.

However, after six months of serving his sentence at Kajang Prison, he was released on parole.

In this round of polls, there are 124 people vying for a place on the 25-seat Supreme Council. 

Among the incumbents who are running again are Jeli MP Mustapha Mohamad, Lenggong MP Shamsul Nasarah, Baling MP Abdul Azeez Rahim, Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said, Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar, Arau MP Shahidan Kassim and Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan. 

Former Perak menteri besar Zambry Abdul Kadir and former Malacca chief minister Idris Haron are contesting, after having earlier sat on the Supreme Council by virtue of being state liaison chiefs. 

Defeated prime minister Najib Razak’s former aide, Lokman Nor Adam, has also offered himself, while controversial Umno blogger and chief of the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), the Barisan Nasional government’s propaganda unit, Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, is also in the fray.

His predecessor in Jasa, Puad Zakarshi, has also submitted his name to be a Supreme Council member. 

The filing of nominations for the top office bearers and Supreme Council posts closed at 5pm yesterday, but due to the high number of candidates, the party has delayed announcing the final list.

Voting for the top office bearers will be held on June 30, and for the wing (Youth, Wanita and Puteri) chiefs, June 23. 

The party elections this year are being held after two postponements. The last polls were in 2013.

Following Umno’s thrashing in the 14th general election, the party polls this time will see an unprecedented number of candidates vying for posts, breaking the party’s long-standing culture of no contests in the name of stability as members search for new leadership. – June 18, 2018.