UMNO presidential hopeful Khairy Jamaluddin has thrown down the gauntlet to his party members when he proposed three radical campaign promises in his bid to become its youngest-ever president.

At the party’s headquarters today, Khairy promised to end the “no-contest” resolution that has become the mainstay of the party for almost three decades. 

“There will be no more resolutions to forbid contests. We must not shield the president from healthy contests in the party so that leaders are continuously held accountable,” said the 41-year-old outgoing Umno Youth chief today.

At last year’s general assembly, the party, under the influence of former president Najib Razak, passed a no-contest resolution for the posts of president and deputy president at this year’s polls.

The Rembau MP also promised to remove the rule to allow party leaders to postpone party elections up to 18 months. 

He said the party must return to its roots and return the power of choice to its grassroots.

“Elections must be carried out every three years. And there will be no more extensions.”

Delays in party elections killed accountability, he said.

“Look where that got us.”

The last party elections were in October 2013. Since then, it has not held any election and has postponed it twice – the first in October 2016 and again in 2018.

The former youth and sports minister vowed to allow the grassroots to criticise the leadership and promised that members who do so will not be punished for it.

He also promised to introduce two additional elected vice-president slots if he became president.

“One will be for a woman candidate, who will be chosen among themselves. She will have the full benefits of a VP and the other will be for a Sabah leader to represent their interests,” said Khairy.

He also promised to give more autonomy to Sabah and allow them to choose their own state liaison chief.

If elected, Khairy said, his first duty was to form a shadow cabinet before Parliament begins on July 16.

“There will be one shadow minister for every Pakatan Harapan minister,” said Khairy.

He said this was an important step towards rebuilding public trust in Umno and to show that it can one day be a “credible alternative” to the current government.

Khairy also mooted the setting up of a separate council for non-Umno members. The council will allow professionals, academics, religious scholars and activists to come into Umno without going through the party ranks.

“These Umno cadres may even be put up as candidates in elections.”

Many of them offered their assistance to Umno but found it difficult going through the party hierarchy, he said. – June 20, 2018.