Last-minute bid to stop Umno meet

As the countdown for Umno's 59th general assembly begins later this evening, two division leaders are seeking a last-minute intervention from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to stop the meeting and elections.

They wanted the Umno meeting suspended until the practice of money politics in the party polls are adequately addressed.

According to the duo, given that RoS is the administrator and the body overlooking the societies, it should step in and arrest the problem before it spreads to other associations and societies.

"We are doing this to save the party," Umno Muar division member Kadar Shah Sulaiman Ninam Shah ( left in photo ) said today.

He said if this problem is not resolved within Umno, it would become a cancer and spread to other political parties.

"There should not be two sets of rules or standards practised by the RoS. Just because Umno is the ruling party, the body decides not to take action on it despite wide media reports on corruption," he said when contacted by Malaysiakini today.

"This is not the right step forward for Malaysia and especially Umno. RoS should enforce the rules regardless of whether the party is influential or not. It must not treat the money politics problem within Umno lightly."

Letter to RoS

Kadar Shah, who is the son of the late former Umno permanent chairperson Sulaiman Ninam Shah, and former Umno Youth exco member Mazlan Haron ( far right in photo ) went today to the RoS in Putrajaya to lodge a complaint on the rampant occurance of money politics in Umno.

They met with deputy registrar Marzuki Zainuddin at 2.30pm and urged him to force Umno to abolish the quota system in Umno elections.

If the RoS failed to take any action, the duo said they will take legal action to force Umno to remove the quota system.

They also gave documentary evidence of money politics to the RoS.

Mazlan told reporters after the 30-minute meeting with Marzuki that they felt the quota system was the source of the problems in money politics in the party.

"That is why this (quota system) should be abolished as it is against the Societies Act," he said.

"The quota system has resulted in money politics to continue and become a problem to the party," said Mazlan after meeting with the RoS.

Asked on why they were complaining to the RoS now and not earlier, Mazlan said that during president Dr Mahathir Mohamad's time Umno had adopted the quota system to prevent any untoward challenges towards the presidency.

He said although current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had opposed the quota system then, he had not decided to remove it totally.

"Our actions today come at the opportune time as with the incoming new president Najib Abdul Razak and the batch of new aspiring leaders like Muhyiddin Yassin and Rais Yatim, we are hopeful that the quota system would be abolished. We are giving the chance for RoS and new party leadership to make the necessary changes.

"If the RoS fails to rectify the problem and Umno also decide not to abolish the quota system, we will take the legal action to force the abolishment of the quota system which is the source of money politics," he said.

Mazlan said he and Kadar would give RoS and Umno time to consider their views as it would help rid the party of the problems of money politics.

Muhyiddin ignoring the issue

Describing money politics in Umno as like cancer, Kadar Shah said it should have been treated and stamped out by the party and elections should have been withheld or postponed until the problem is resolved.

"If it is a disease, we should find a cure regardless if it is through the traditional, alternative or modern medication."

"However, as I was watching Astro Awani with deputy presidential candidate, Muhyiddin Yassin, acknowledging that money politics is a problem and according to Muhyiddin, that should not be the reason to postpone the assembly. It is as if he is ignoring the problem."

"I beg to differ as Umno should not adopt a lax attitude. The money politics problem should be taken into serious consideration to stamp it out," he said.

Kadar Shah, who was a former Umno Youth exco member, said if you look at the delegates going to the Umno assembly today, they are not aware or have a "tidak apa" attitude to the problems of money politics as they go about hearing speeches, having a drink and not having any worry about the party, while Umno is in in tatters.

"To the politicians vying for posts, they seemed to be inconsiderate, impatient in chasing for positions by practising corruption in fighting for party posts.

Fear of repercussions

"Do we want these people to be in government? If they are in government, it (government) would collapse as they would also be corrupt when given posts," he said.

The Muar division member said he was taking the drastic action out of love for the party to stem corrupt practices.

He claimed that there are many members who wanted to take action but feared persecution from the party.

"Everyday I received calls nationwide voicing their support. However, they do not dare to come forward for fear of repercussions. If they are teachers, they fear of being transferred. The party is vindictive of members who are against the party.

"However, Mazlan and I are willing to take the risk as we love the party and wanted to see it going back to our original roots, that is to fight for the Malay community's interests."

Presently, Umno vice-president and deputy president aspirant Mohd Ali Rustam had been barred from contesting following allegations that three of his agents were found guilty of money politics.

Yesterday, party supreme council member, Norza Zakaria, was also barred from defending his post after he was charged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on March 13 for alleged involvement in money politics.

Khairy given a warning

He claimed trial to two charges with offering bribes to party delegates to vote for him for the supreme council post in the coming party polls later this month.

Norza was released on a RM10,000 bail in one surety. The case will be mentioned on April 22.

Norza, 43, was alleged to have committed the offences on Jan 20, 2009 at 6.30pm at No 38, Pinggiran Tasik, Taman Bandar Temerloh, in Temerloh.

He was charged with corruptly giving Khadri Musa RM1,500 through Halimi Kamaruzzaman to be distributed to party delegates as inducement to vote for him

Norza was also charged with corruptly giving RM1,900 to Mohammad Anuar Yunus, also through Halimi Kamaruzzaman, for the same purpose.

Umno Youth chief aspirant Khairy Jamaluddin had also been given a warning by the party disciplinary board.

The party's disciplinary committee chairperson, Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail, indicated that it had investigated close to 1,000 allegations of money politics.