No Umno gag order, says Najib - The Star

By Simon Khoo

PEKAN: Umno will not issue a gag order on its leaders who express their views as the party practises democracy, said its deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

He said the party would continue to allow Umno division leaders to speak out on issues close to their hearts.

“What is important now is to provide an avenue for the grassroots to express their views in an open and sincere manner.

“We will then leave it to the party’s leadership, particularly Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to come up with the best measures to reform the party and regain the people’s trust,” he said after launching an aquaculture project in Kuala Pahang here yesterday.

Najib was asked to comment whether Umno would be issuing a gag order to address the differing views uttered by Umno division leaders, which might confuse the people.

He said that Umno could not possibly restrain its divisional leaders from speaking up as it would be counter-productive.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/13/nation/20939736&sec=nation]