Ku Li Says UMNO Reforms Not Good Enough

Tengku Razaleigh feels the UMNO amendments are not enough. — File pic

By Neville Spykerman
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16, 2009 — While welcoming the constitutional changes in UMNO, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said the amendments approved this week did not go far enough to check the influence of warlords and the prevalence of vote-buying.

He said the amendment to allow more delegates to vote for office bearers was not enough to check abuses such as vote-buying.

The Gua Musang MP pointed out that he had proposed three years ago that all UMNO members be allowed to elect the party president, his deputy, the vice-presidents and supreme council members.

"All members should be allowed to vote not just the delegates, to check the influence of warlords and money politics," he said.

He pointed out that there was no quorum for the annual meetings in many branches because this was not an election year and no money was being handed out.

"The party needs to correct this attitude because the members are motivated by ‘lollies’ and money," he said.

He said UMNO must also change the way it selects candidates for elections and should consider emulating the system in the United States where primaries are held.

The system allows members in a particular constituency to select leaders who they know will serve the people, he said.

"UMNO should stop the nonsense, where the leadership selects candidates because it did not work during the March general election last year."

He said many previous leaders did not go to their constituencies and only returned when VIPs were around.

At the same time, he said, UMNO should not stop at just constitutional reforms but change the attitude of leaders.

"People want change... credible leaders who are free of corruption, who have not done things which are scorned by the public," he said.

“We need a clean slate of people because that’s what is demanded by the people who are sick and tired of seeing bad leaders. Leaders whose records are blemished,” he added.

He said this did not happen during the time of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country first Prime Minister, and the question needs to be asked why in this time and age we need such leaders to be our representatives.

He said the result of the Bagan Pinang by-election, where former Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri Isa Samad who was suspended from the party for money politics triumphed over the PAS candidate, can be interpreted in many ways.

He warned that while UMNO may have won the battle, he was not sure if it could win the war which was the general election, judging by the sentiments of the people.

When all is said and done, he said he was still in UMNO because he still has hope.

Tengku Razaleigh said he hopes common sense will prevail in the party.

“I would like to see the party improve itself,” he said.