Thesun 2009-03-23 Page01 Umno Must Dare To Change

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No. 4721 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)

Monday March 23, 2009

TELLING IT AS IT IS

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Samy keeps post for the 11th time by Karen Arukesamy [email protected]

KUALA LUMPUR: Longest-serving MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, 73, added another term to the record, his 11th and avowed last term, yesterday. He won uncontested when the declared challenger, Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan (pic), failed to get the required 50 nominations. The former party vice-president submitted 53 nominations, but the six-member election committee declared 48 as invalid for not complying with the party constitution and presidential election by-laws, leaving only five valid nominations. Committee chairman Datuk K. Vijayanathan announced Samy Vellu, who secured 455 nominations, the only candidate for the president’s post, after about three hours of scrutinising the nominations. Some 117 nominations were rejected for the same reason. “More than 90% of the nominations rejected were due to duplication of signatures with both candidates obtaining nominations from the same people. This is not allowed under the party constitution and election by-laws,” Vijayanathan stressed. Muthupalaniappan declared that democracy was dead in the MIC. He claimed his bid for the presidency did not go down well with Samy Vellu from “day one” as he (Samy Vellu) wanted to win unopposed to show MIC’s counterparts in the Barisan Nasional that he was in control of the party. “In a true democracy, contest must be encouraged and not muted. This is the last straw. Democracy is truly dead in the MIC,” he told Bernama. He claimed that branch chairmen who had signed his nomination forms were asked to also nominate Samy Vellu, thus invalidating both. He said that anticipating this, he had the branch chairmen who nominated him to make a statutory declaration that they were nominating him for the post. He also said that according to the MIC constitution,

division and state chiefs were returning officers in the presidential election and they should have been barred from being involved in any lobbying but this was not the case. He also claimed that he was given only 65 nomination forms by MIC headquarters whereas Samy Vellu was given more than 550 forms. The party constitution requires a presidential candidate to obtain 50 nominations, each with one proposer and five seconders. All proposers and seconders must be among the 3,700 branch chairmen. Samy Vellu said that this would be his last term. “This is my last election. I will not contest after this and I will select the best candidates to lead the party after my term. I am also out to ensure that they are welltrained and prepared to face future challenges,” he said after he was declared unchallenged. “My victory shows that the party is still united as one,” he said, adding that it’s not just his victory but the whole party’s. “The responsibility as president in the current period will be more challenging as three by-elections will be held simultaneously,” he said, expressing strong confidence of the BN winning the Bukit Selambau seat. The former works minister, who lost his Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in the general election and with it his cabinet post, has held the top party post since 1979, when he became the acting president after the death of Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam. The deputy’s post is expected to be hotly-contested with incumb e n t Datuk G. Palanivel facing a straight fight with incumbent vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan.

RM43,000 for shattered plaque ...

Five broken pieces of a plaque commissioned to commemorate the Perak State Assembly sitting under a tree were yesterday auctioned for RM42,900. Each jagged piece marble with inscription was mounted in a transparent case together with a replica of the original, which was shattered by vandals. Auctioneer Frankie Wong from the DAP opened bidding for Lot 5, the biggest and last piece at RM4,000, and after 19 bids, the item was sold for RM17,100 to a businessman identified as Lee. Full report Page 4

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‘Umno must dare to change’ UALA LUMPUR: Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak says changes to Umno’s constitution are possible in the reformation of the party. He said the party’s organisational structure and policies also needed to be revamped in repositioning Umno in line with the current needs of the people and to counter the negative perception people have of Umno. “Change must take place in Umno itself so that the negative perception can be eliminated. For this reason, the election process of Umno’s leaders also needs to be reviewed. “We must do something in a serious way, and dare to make changes. I am confident if we take this path, support for Umno and the Barisan Nasional will return and we can be back to where we were previously. “So, internal changes in Umno need to be tackled first and after that government policies and approaches in the direction we intend to take to fulfil the aspirations of the people. This is what we will have to strive for,” he said when interviewed on the Dialog@1

K

NAJIB ENVISIONS CHANGES TO PARTY CONSTITUTION AS PART OF REFORMS programme on Radio Television Malaysia’s TV1 channel at the Putra World Trade Centre last night. He expects the changes to Umno’s constitution to take place before the party polls in the coming years. Najib, who is deputy prime minister, also wants Umno delegates to the party’s general assembly this week to only return leaders who are capable and willing to serve with integrity, credibility and loyalty. “I hope they will choose leaders based on the party’s interest and not self-interest. “If we go for this attribute, I am sure it will signal the beginning of the reform process for Umno.” He said in reforming itself, Umno, which is also the lynchpin of the BN, must also be willing to give room to the component parties in the coalition to forward their views

and needs on the basis of the power sharing concept the BN practises. “If they are unable to deliver, they will lose credibility among the ethnic groups they represent.” Najib, who will be taking over the leadership of the nation after the assembly which will begin tomorrow and end on Saturday, said he did not see himself enjoying a honeymoon period as the political situation in the country and the current world economic crisis would not allow it. He said every move he makes will be scrutinised under a “microscope” from the very first day. “Nevertheless, I believe the people will give me a chance to prove myself,” he said, adding his cabinet lineup and first address as the prime minister would be the initial yardsticks they would measure him by. – Bernama