Thesun 2009-03-27 Page01 Muhyiddin Is No

Abdullah: No going back

Award winning newspaper for public service reporting and opinion writing.

No. 4725 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)

D

Friday March 27, 2009

TELLING IT AS IT IS

» Balkis dissolution may be illegal pg8

» Thais take to the streets again pg11

» Turn to

EPAPIX

Page 2

News without borders

The victors ... Muhyiddin with the new vicepresidents Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

1,575

1,592

Reforms Sadly, there are still those who feel we do not need to pursue reforms. They believe that Umno will regain its glory if we revert to the old ways – the old order, by restricting the freedom of our citizens and by silencing their criticism. They are of the view that Umno can continue to be in power if they safeguard the interests of certain individuals and give in to the demands of certain groups.

www.sun2surf.com

Emotional moment ... Najib rushes to hug Abdullah after the outgoing party chief delivered his last speech as Umno president yesterday.

1,515

1,445

Muhyiddin is No. 2 KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin last night beat another party veteran Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib for the Umno deputy presidency. The win puts the 61-year-old Johor politician, who was first elected vice-president in 1993, in line for the post of deputy prime ministers. Muhyiddin, who is International Trade and Industry Minister, garnered 1,575 votes while the 63-year-old Muhammad, the affable party information chief, collected 916 votes. A total of 2,519 delegates voted. The contest for the number two post was earlier a three-cornered one but Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam was sensationally barred by the disciplinary board for involvement in money politics by association a week ago. The results were announced by Tan Sri Onn Ismail, the incumbent permanent chairman who lost his post to Datuk Paduka Badruddin Amiruldin, at 10.40pm, to a crowd that had waited hours.

» Turn to Page 4

BERNAMAPIX

ATUK Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in his last speech as Umno president yesterday, gave a frank assessment of the state of the party and the threats to its survival and offered ways to boost its flagging fortunes. He suggested Umno limits the tenure of its office-bearers as part of urgent reforms to revive the 63-year-old party that is now facing a “life and death situation”. In his last presidential address entitled “The Future and Survival of the Party” at Umno’s general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, he also said Umno needed a mechanism that gave its members greater say and to allow those without positions or material wealth to be fairly treated. “Perhaps Umno should also give every Umno member the right to vote to choose their leaders, especially for key party positions, to overcome and eradicate the problem of money politics,” he said, endorsing incoming president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s call to the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings on Tuesday. Abdullah, who turns 70 in November, is not defending the Umno president’s post which he held since 2004. Najib was officially declared Umno president yesterday. Abdullah’s speech was greeted with a standing ovation, during which Najib walked over and hugged him. The highlights:

œ

Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)

300,000 COPIES DAILY 30 SEN for delivery to your doorstep