Let delegates decide whether Umno's top posts should be contested, says Zahid
Zahid.
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He said this following recent calls and pressure for both positions to be contested in the upcoming party election.
Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister, said he is a leader who upholds democracy.
"As a person who prioritises democracy, I leave it to the delegates to decide," he said during a special interview programme titled; 'Political Reconciliation: What's Profitable to the Nation?' on the NRCHannel TV's Facebook page on Tuesday.
Zahid also said that as the party's acting president during the Umno elections in 2018, he was the one who decided that all posts could be contested, including the president and deputy president.
"The 2017 Umno General Assembly (PAU) decided that the president and deputy president would not be contested."
"However, when I assumed responsibilities as the (acting) Umno president at the time, I decided that all positions could be contested in the Supreme Working Council (MKT) meeting.
"But we must remember that there were times when the president and deputy president positions were not contested. During Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's 22-years of leadership, there were a few times, as well as during Pak Lah (Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's) tenure.
"Najib's (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) era had such suggestions, but it wasn't done, but this was raised multiple times during his time," he explained.
Previously, Umno Secretary-General Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said that the MKT has yet to decide whether the positions of president and deputy president would be contested.
He said the matter may be decided during the Special MKT Meeting held before the Umno general assembly on Jan 12.
