Umno man defies party, ready to face music - The Star

By Raslan Baharom

TAIPING: An Umno member who stood for and won one of the 30 vacant village head posts that were up for grabs at Sunday's Pakatan Rakyat government-organised election knew that he could be expelled from the party for not towing the line.

“If I’m expelled from the party, I have to accept it because they (Umno leaders) have the power to do so,” said Mokhtar Muda.

The 56-year-old retired soldier won a three-cornered fight for the post of Kampung Boyan village head after polling 541 votes, beating self-employed Shaari Chain, 50, and retired teacher Ali Akbar Ibrahim, 60, from Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS respectively.

Shaari obtained 77 votes while Ali Akbar garnered 387 votes.

Mokhtar said he did not contest for the post under the Umno ticket.

“The post which I won today should not be a reflection of which party one is aligned to,” said the father of six.

Some local Umno leaders such as former state assembly speaker Datuk Md Isa Ismail, who is also Bukit Gantang Umno division chairman, had warned Umno members against contesting in the village head election as this amounted to disregarding party directives.

[From http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/22/nation/20080622200844&sec=nation]