Published: Friday October 31, 2008 MYT 9:21:00 PM
Hishammudin: ‘I endorse no candidate for Umno youth chief.’
BY SHAHANAAZ HABIB, JANE RITIKOS and IZATUN SHARI
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said he has not endorsed any candidate for the movement’s top post.
He said his Sembrong division’s nomination of Khairy Jamaluddin as Youth chief should not be seen as his endorsement of Khairy.
“I think what is important is to see that the nominations this time around are coming from the ground.
“Eighty per cent of the nomination divisions were decided based on votes and that’s a new phenomenon for Umno and I think it’s a good sign to reflect the wishes on the ground.
“No, I don’t think it’s an endorsement. I think nobody today is in a position to endorse anybody because at the moment the ground is beginning to really make its voice heard,” he told reporters on Friday after the supreme council meeting.
Hishammuddin was asked if his Sembrong division’s nomination of Khairy was an indication that he wanted his deputy Youth chief to succeed him.
For the March party election, Hishammuddin is vacating the Youth Chief post and moving up to contest one of the vice-presidency spots.
Khairy who is the current deputy Youth chief is moving up to contest the Youth top post.
He will battle Mukhriz Mahathir and Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo in a three-way contest.
Last week, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s Pekan division gave its nomination for the Youth chief post to Mukhriz, while Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Kepala Batas division picked Khairy - both nominations were seen as endorsements of these two leaders.
On the three-way contest, Hishammuddin said he looked at it positively provided that those contesting it do not look at it as a “personal crusade.”
“They also have to look at it as a bigger picture, not only in the context of Umno but also in the context of Barisan Nasional. The Umno youth leader leads the Barisan Youth,” he said.
To another question, Hishammuddin, who is Education Minister, said they were in good hands with Najib as the incoming leader.
He believed the deputy Prime Minister was in the right position to take over as he had dealt with many issues and was experienced and had the ability, support and confidence of those who he was going to lead.
“It is incumbent on those around him - Youth, Puteri and Wanita - and also Barisan component parties to give him the support. A man is only effective if he has the support of those who are going to struggle with him in the coalition,” he said.
As for the party polls, Najib has been securing all nominations for the Umno presidency. He looks set to win the post uncontested over the weekend when more divisions meet and make their nominations.
On the handing over of the reins of power from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Najib, he said, this should be done in a dignified manner.
“Nobody is being rushed into this. There is a process we have to go through. We have to give respect to our leaders so that the transition is done in a dignified manner for the credibility of not only our leadership and party but for Malaysians in general,” he said.
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