MUAR, April 5 (Bernama) -- Umno vice president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has called on party members to be brave in stating the truth and not to tell lies to make the leaders feel good.
He also said that if a weakness existed in the party, they should accept it with an open heart and be prepared to overcome it, instead of just listening without doing anything.
"It is a lie to say everything is good when we know a weakness exists. It is better to tell the truth and nothing but the truth though it may be bitter to swallow," he told reporters here Saturday.
Earlier, he attended a thanksgiving function for the victory of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the Pagoh parliamentary constituency in the March 8 general election. About 3,000 BN supporters attended the event.
Muhyiddin who is International Trade and Industry Minister, also said Umno had to be bold to effect changes to suit the present situation without sacrificing the principle of its original struggle if it wanted to remain relevant. He said Johor Umno had agreed in a meeting this morning to set up a special institute to study and understand the feelings of voters.
The institute should comprise experts and be mobilised quickly to draw up a blueprint that would help Umno regain its strength including in other states, he said.
He said the initiative should start now so that the BN would not lose its existing power the next general election.
"I fear if something is not done, we continue to be complacent, still unaware of the political tsunami out there, we will lose power," he said.
[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=324941]
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Be Truthful, Muhyiddin Tells Umno Members - Bernama
Khalid Quashes Rumours Of Making Way For Anwar In Bandar Tun Razak - Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 (Bernama) -- Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim Saturday quashed rumours that he will vacate his Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat to make way for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to resurrect his political career through a by-election.
He said it was still premature to even speculate on the matter as the de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat had ample time to think about it and should he decides to return to active politics, he could contest in any of the 31 parliamentary seats won by the party in last month's general election.
The former deputy prime minister could return to active politics on April 15 after the expiry of a five-year ban following a corruption conviction.
The election rules, however, stipulate that a by-election could only be held six months after an election.
"It is his prerogative to decide when and where to contest. As far as (Parti) Keadilan (Rakyat) is concerned, we have 31 seats available.
"But I don't want to speculate on anything now as we do not want to put anyone, including our opponent into unnecessary preparation," Khalid, who is also Ijok state assemblyman, told reporters when asked to comment on the speculations after a get-together with his Bandar Tun Razak constituents.
[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=324898]
哈迪阿旺：始终坚持回教国理想‧回教刑法搁一旁 - Sin Chew Daily
（登嘉楼‧瓜拉登嘉楼）回教党全国主席拿督斯里哈迪阿旺指出，回教党过去倡导的回教国理想，始终还是回教党的政治斗爭；但是，一些引起爭议的回教教义，將会暂时搁置一旁。
他强调，可以落实的回教国內容，將会继续落实，至於有爭议部份，如回教刑事法，就会搁置一旁。
与行动党有共同点
他坦承，回教党仍无法落实真正的回教国，因为在政治现实里，回教党根本不能组织强势及单一执政的政府，所以非回教徒根本不必担心回教国的课题。
哈迪阿旺在接受星洲日报专访时说：“实际上回教国的內容与行动党的社会主义理想並非南辕北辙；在某些课题上，如公正、反贪、扑灭贫穷的立场是一致的。”
他指出，人民联盟合作的大原则，是先落实一致、可行、適宜的目標。
“你（指记者）告诉我，挨饿的华人与回教徒所受的苦，有分別吗？行动党要公平施政，与回教所强调的，也是一致的。最大的分別是甚么？大家祈祷及信仰不一样而已。”
哈迪阿旺表示，那些彼此有分歧的课题，就先摆在一边，直到需要实行时，再来商討。
[More at http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/60600]
Umno weak because it is lacking in democracy, says Razaleigh - The Star
GUA MUSANG: Describing Umno as being in a crisis, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said the lack of democracy was the main cause of the party’s weakness.
The Gua Musang Umno division chief said the quota system where nominations from 30% of the divisions were needed before a candidate could contest the president post was an example of Umno lacking in democracy.
He said the requirement meant that candidates would need nominations from at least 58 divisions in order to contest.
“The rationale is to curtail members from contesting for posts but I don’t think there are Umno members who will simply challenge the party president without any strong reason,” he told reporters after opening the division’s extraordinary general meeting yesterday.
He said the quota system created a situation where members were more loyal to leaders instead of the party and incidences of money politics.
He said the recent general election had eroded the people’s support and confidence in Umno and immediate steps must be taken to stop the situation from worsening.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/5/nation/20859386&sec=nation]
PM to fill three vacancies with candidates from Umno - The Star
KUCHING: The three vacancies for federal deputy ministers will be filled next week, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The Prime Minister did not name the new deputy ministers, but would only that they were from the same party (Umno), which the three former deputy ministers represented.
The former deputy ministers were Sabahans Datuk Ghapur Salleh and Datuk Anifah Aman, and Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Abu Bakar.
Abdullah said he had identified the candidates for the posts of Dewan Rakyat Speaker and Deputy Speakers, and that among them were one Sarawakian and one Sabahan.
There was talk that Santubong MP Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is the Sarawak MP who has been identified.
“We are in the process of getting in touch with them (identified candidates) and asking them how they feel about it,” he told reporters when asked at Kuching Hilton yesterday.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/5/nation/20860274&sec=nation]
Khairy in no rush to helm Umno Youth - NST
REMBAU: Umno Youth deputy leader Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday said he would not rush into making a bid for the Youth chief's post to be vacated by Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein at the party elections in December.
The Rembau Member of Parliament instead said he would get the views of members from the branch and division levels first.
"As the deputy chief, I represent the Umno Youth institution and I cannot make any personal, hasty decisions.
"I believe my personal interests are not important as what needs to be given priority is our institution which we must take care of. As a representative of this institution, I must listen to the views of the grassroots," he said here.
After leading Umno Youth for 10 years, Hishammuddin, 47, who is the education minister, announced on Thursday that he would not be defending the post and that it was time to make way for someone else.
Khairy said he respected anyone's decision to contest the post and was confident that through the democratic process, the best leader would be chosen to lead Umno Youth.
[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Saturday/National/2205072/Article/index_html]
Nazri: Dr M cause of rift - The Star
PARIT BUNTAR: Former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is responsible for causing a rift in the party, supreme council member Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said.
Nazri, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said: ”He is the one doing harm to Umno. If he loves Umno, he should stop all this when, at this time, even opposition parties with different ideologies can work together.”
Nazri said if it had been him or anyone else who did what Dr Mahathir was doing, they would have been sacked from the party a long time ago.
“But I am only an ordinary member, not like him an extraordinary member,” Nazri, who is also Padang Rengas MP, told reporters after presenting aid to 124 storm victims in his constituency here yesterday.
Nazri was commenting on calls by Dr Mahathir for reforms in the party and for Abdullah to step down to assume responsibility for the poor showing of the Barisan Nasional in the general election.
Like Abdullah, he said, Dr Mahathir had also suffered defeats in the 1990 and 1999 elections and yet Umno members had supported him throughout the nine years.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/5/nation/20859890&sec=nation]
Samy going for his ‘last term’ - The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will defend his presidency for the “last term” in the MIC party polls scheduled for March next year.
“I will retire in 2012 (after the end of the three-year presidency). I have already said it before,” the 72-year-old told reporters after presenting UPSR revision books to headmasters and students of Tamil schools here yesterday.
He said he would also stick to his decision not to contest for any parliamentary seat in the next general election.
(In March, Samy Vellu said that the general election would be his last, and that he would concentrate on party work and return to his architectural work when he retires).
Samy Vellu said that since he was not a minister, he had all the time to do party work.
To a question, he said he would be happy if anyone contested for the top post.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/5/nation/20860568&sec=nation]
Karpal: No one party is boss - The Star
PETALING JAYA: There is no question of any of the three political parties being the backbone of the proposed Pakatan Rakyat, DAP chairman Karpal Singh said.
He said it had already been made clear that no one party would have greater standing, as the three component parties were equal in the alliance.
“Out of 82 parliamentary seats, PAS won 23 seats, with DAP securing 28 seats and PKR 31.
“PAS won the lowest number of seats, so how can it claim to be the backbone of Pakatan Rakyat?” he asked when contacted yesterday.
He was commenting on an Utusan Malaysia article yesterday where Kelantan PAS Youth chief Mohamad Zaki Ibrahim agreed with Kelantan’s deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yaakub that PAS ought to be the backbone of Pakatan Rakyat to ensure the hopes of setting up an Islamic country were realised.
This was backed yesterday by the Kedah and Terengganu PAS Youth movements, Bernama reported from Alor Star yesterday.
[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/5/nation/20859725&sec=nation]
