Early election results show Umno chooses status quo over change  

Nabihah Hamid Nabihah Hamid Updated 5 years ago · Published on 24 Jun 2018 7:00AM · 9 Comments

Interim president and former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi could find it easy to shoulder aside competition from Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to clinch the president’s post on June 30. – The Malaysian Insight pic, June 30, 2018.

FOR all the talk about change and reform post-GE14, early party election results suggest Umno has little appetite for charting a new course.

To date, 74 of the 191 division chiefs have retained their positions uncontested; 108 Wanita chiefs also kept their positions without a fight as did 85 Umno Youth chiefs and 126 Puteri Umno chiefs.

These results indicate the party warlords’ continued grip on the party and the members’ lack of desire to offer themselves for positions in Umno.

The favouring of the the status quo could well mean that interim president and former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will find it easy to clinch the president’s post on June 30, said Ilham Centre executive director Hisomuddin Bakar.

Zahid is in a five-man race for the post but his toughest challenges comes from Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and outgoing Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. The other two candidates for the top position are Bandar Tun Razak Umno division member Mohamed Iqbal Maricair and Umno Iskandar Puteri division member Mohd Yusof Musa@Jamaluddin.

“Overall, I’m not expecting much change in Umno, ” Hisomuddin told The Malaysian Insight.

Zahid is largely popular with division chiefs. Only three divisions did not support him in his bid for a vice-president’s seat during the party’s 2013 elections, Hisomuddin noted. With such a large number of division chiefs holding on to their position, it looks like Zahid is the favourite to become Umno president.

Zahid took on the duties of party president after Najib Razak resigned following Barisan Nasional’s defeat in the May 9 general election.

Universiti Malaya Awang Azman Awang Pawi said Umno would find reform difficult because its grassroots were largely conservative in outlook and ideas about leadership renewal.

“While I do expect some new faces to win, I think 40% will be old faces. It is not easy for them to vote out the old leaders, firstly because they strongly believe in being loyal to their leaders and secondly, their thinking is still conservative and they think these leaders should be given the chance to change,” he said.

Zahid had the advantage of being the former deputy prime minister which made him the more prominent and qualified candidate, said Awang Azman.

Political analyst Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar said that nearly 40% of the division chiefs won their posts without challenge showed the dearth of leadership at the divisional level.

“As I see it, Umno is still in shock over its loss in the general election and has not consolidated ithe rank and file.

“Division chiefs still have influence and funds that give them the edge,” said the political science lecturer at International Islamic University Malaysia. – June 24, 2018.

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Comments

  • It makes sense for UMNO to try and sell to the Malays they have kept stealing in check and pander to the insecurities of the Malays - keeping their racial-religo politics. Trump did it with a smaller constitutent, its going to be much easier for Hamidi and Annuar to do the same IF they do not have to compete with Hadi's PAS. UMNO-PAS will join, in single party or not.

    Winning Putrajaya and even after implementing reform IS NOT THE END OF THE BATTLE - there is a battle of ideology - racial and especially religo one.

    Posted 5 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Umno is as good as dead. A wrecked ship that cannot be salvaged anymore. RIP.

    Posted 5 years ago by Ken destino · Reply

  • We hate UMNO for what they have done to Malaysia. We hope UMNO can be a strong opposition to check the PH govt.....Aiyoooo....

    Posted 5 years ago by King Hutan · Reply

  • The Congress Party of India took another 2 more general elections to re-vamp and win power again to form the central govt, when they lost to the opposition for the 1st time in 5O(?) years of ruling India after getting independence from the British in 1947. So do not expect Umno to reciprocate immediately just yet, and emerge from their "cocoon". Like India it will take time, and give Pakatan some valuable time to consolidate. TDM has asked Malaysians to be patient while he & his team work at breakneck speed to deliver promised reforms in 100 days, and more of it before the GE15 due by 2023 to offset the many years of "damage" inherited from Umno..

    Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Where will the Nation be headed in a fast changing World
    if a party that could be the Government of the future chooses to preserve values that has progressively eroded its International competitiveness
    and Integrity . Extensive world news coverage and analyst views are already consistently concluding that there is a huge disconnect between the potential of the Nation to advance compared to the inward looking culture of Parties that divides its own people. A New Think Leader is needed to draw out its the historic strengths of tge Party and build upon it ,to steer it towards the realities of the regional and global challenges . The rejection of BN, MCA and
    MIC is a clear message that divisive politics dies not appeal any more to Malaysians.

    Posted 5 years ago by Kukananthan Gnanamoorthy · Reply

  • Don't expect umno to be a strong and effective opposition on par as the previous pakatan opposition bloc to check on the current govt. Its members are in it for the dedak and not for the country.

    Posted 5 years ago by Conscience Moral · Reply

  • Of course status quo. Continue to cheat the Malay, abuse them and make them like stupid monkeys rather than make them wisely and rebel against UMNO

    Posted 5 years ago by Putang Inang · Reply

  • UMNO is still quite formidable but if Zahid wins, the question of what the party stands for becomes central to the social stability and interracial harmony of the Malaysian society. UMNO for all its wealth needs nothing short of a transformation to remain relevant and inclusive in the new Malaysia.

    Posted 5 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • UMNO is still a strong and valiant Party seen in last GE 14 , still a strong opposition looking at the successful parliamentary seats ....

    Posted 5 years ago by Rosmadi Mamat · Reply