MUAR: When the time comes, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) says he would leave it to the party’s supreme council and general assembly to decide on a suitable person to lead the party.
The Deputy Prime Minister said he is open to being challenged in the next party leadership election in 2026, but the matter will not be up to him alone.
“According to the Umno constitution, party elections should be called once every three years, meaning the next one will be in 2026. There is also a clause (in the constitution) stating that the leadership election could be postponed for a period of 18 months, which means it depends on the decision of the supreme council and general assembly.
“We at Umno obey what is stated in the party constitution and regulations,” he told reporters after officiating the Muar Umno division meeting here yesterday.
On Saturday, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said he is ready to defend his current party position in the next leadership election in 2026.
His statement came following Tenggara Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba’s proposal of a motion to allow the party president and deputy president positions to be contested. After that, former Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil urged Mohamad to challenge Ahmad Zahid for the president’s post.
On Jan 14, 2023, the Umno general assembly gave the nod to a motion for the posts of president and deputy president to not be contested at the polls that year.
Earlier, in Ahmad Zahid’s speech, he said that he will hand it to the Umno delegates to decide on the party’s top posts.
“When the time comes, I will leave it to the delegates to choose a deserving person who can strengthen and ensure the continuity of Umno and Barisan Nasional,” he said.
He noted that he has held the Umno president post for seven years and that he was handed the position by ex-premier and former party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“I was a vice-president at the time and then (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) was sacked and I took on his duties of the deputy president. Bossku (Najib) gave me the responsibility of party president when he stepped down.
“I did not rise to the top by stepping on others,” he said, urging party members to rise through the ranks “the right way”.
Ahmad Zahid also said that he wants Johor to continue being a Barisan “fixed deposit” since it won 40 out of 56 seats in the 2022 state election.
“Sabah used to be our fixed deposit but it’s no longer that following political changes. This should not happen to Johor due to internal issues and I am confident Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi as Mentri Besar and state liaison chief can handle them.
“We have to ensure Umno remains relevant. Umno and Barisan are not seasonal parties that appear when we win, and disappear after that,” he added.
