Mukhriz confirms Umno Youth chief candidacy, welcomes challenges - NST

JERLUN, Fri:

Confirming his candidacy, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said he did not want an easy passage in his quest to become Umno Youth chief. “I welcome challenges. We should allow as many Umno Youth members to offer themselves to lead the movement and to contest for other posts,” he said.

“I hope the party elections in December will give members room to offer themselves for any posts to help Umno,” he told reporters yesterday after giving away donation to 50 villagers in Kampung Manggol Bongor near here whose houses were damaged by a storm on Thursday.

Mukhriz, the MP for Jerlun and an Umno Youth exco member, was asked if he would compromise with former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo, who is also contesting for the movement’s top post following Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein announcement not to seek re-election in December.

Mukhriz said there was no dearth of capable candidates for the posts in the movement.

He was also confident that contests in the coming elections would not split the party as long as the campaigning was carried out properly.

“In the past, we had a six-cornered fight for the Umno Youth chief’s post but it did not cause any problems to the movement, although I have heard from some members that contests at the higher levels in the party would cause a split.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Frontpage/20080404180812/Article/index_html]