Umno supreme council member Azalina Othman Said today said that she was confident of retaining the seat despite being tainted by alleged practices of money politics.

She sounded confident and said that the allegations will not affect her chances of defending her seat in the party policy-making body.

azalina othman The polls for supreme council seats, as well as for all other posts in the main body of the party, will be held tomorrow.

Today polling had taken place for the three main wings of the party - Wanita, Youth and Puteri.

Azalina, also the tourism minister, is being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged money politics.

One of her senior aides had also been detained for questioning before he was released. The aide was supposedly caught with RM70,000 on him.

It has been alleged that Azalina or her aides have used her ministry to canvass support for the party polls.

Three MACC officers had also visited Azalina's ministry on March 11 and took away two documents for investigation. And on March 20, MACC officers recorded a statement from her and later went to her house in Shah Alam.

Consider me innocent...

When asked to comment on her chances in the face of the allegations against her, Azalina said that a person was innocent until proven guilty.

She said that party delegates would have their own mind in making their decision to choose their leaders for transformation in the party, adding that her political career was not hanging in balance.

umno 59 agm 2009 puteri youth wanita mt campaign 250309 04 "I don't feel that way. I take things as it is. I am facing party elections and let the agency (MACC) do its job as required of them.

"I just hope delegates will let the investigations take its course before passing judgement on me. Please consider me innocent until I'm proven guilty," she said.

"We must be practical and use our common sense when voting. We need to get those who can do a good job for the party and its members, even though we may not like the person," she said.

"Today we are looking for a change and tomorrow (we see) whether the members want to change," she added.

"It will be interesting to observe how the delegates vote. It (the outcome) will reflect how prepared they are for change in Umno," she added.

She was talking to reporters at the sidelines of the Puteri Umno annual meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre. Azalina was the founding head of the wing.

Criticisms are subjective

Meanwhile outgoing Puteri Umno chief Noraini Ahmad brushed aside criticisms levelled at her performance as the wing's head.

umno supreme council special meeting 260809 noraini ahmad She said that criticisms would always be there irrespective of a person's performance.

Noraini, who took over from Azalina at Puteri chief in 2004, was criticised by people from her own movement for doing very little during her tenure.

Earlier in her speech she reminded her members to elect leaders who were able to bring the movement to greater heights.

"We must choose leaders who are able to restore the people's confidence in the party and reject immoral leaders who practice money politics," she said.

She also urged members to defend the honour of the party and the wing.

"Don't tarnish the image and good names of Puteri," she said in her final speech as the wing's head.

umno 59 agm 2009 puteri youth wanita mt campaign 250309 05 She attended the assembly today in a wheel-chair, still recovering from a surgery done two weeks ago.

The 41-year-old deputy human resources minister is no longer eligible to be the movement's member due to age factor.

Her next stop will be the Wanita wing and she is contesting for a supreme council member seat.

Six candidates are vying to be her successor. The outcome will be known tonight.

59th Umno AGM programme