There will be no live telecast of the proceedings at this year's Umno annual general assembly (AGM), neither is there any directive to party delegates to 'tone down' their speeches, said Umno secretary-general Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

"We've never made any such attempts. Never. Umno is mature. We'll leave it to the delegates," Radzi told reporters at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) today after a briefing on the party's upcoming AGM scheduled for Nov 5-9.

Umno delegates know enough not to speak on cases pending in court, launch personal attacks or insult royalty, said Radzi.

Even the 'Lingam tape' scandal has not been blacklisted as a no-go topic for the debates, he added.

"Everything else, no problem," said Radzi.

Tensions were raised when the rhetoric usually accompanying Umno delegates' speeches at the party's annual meet bordered on sedition at the 57th Umno AGM last year.

Racist-laced speeches sparked off an outcry after several delegates harshly asserted the economic and religious rights of the nation's majority Muslim Malays over those of its minorities - mostly Chinese and Indians.

No live telecast

Relating to Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein who had unsheathed a keris (Malay dagger) two years ago, one delegate last year warned that more was to come if Malay-Muslim interests were threatened.

"Hishammuddin has unsheathed the keris. He has waved it. He has kissed it. We ask now when he is going to use it," said delegate Hashim Subuh.

Another delegate, Hasnoor Sidang Husin, said: "Umno is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion".

While only three of the 22 delegates who spoke were hauled up by the party's management committee - but let off with only a stern warning - the outcry led to the cancellation of plans to televise future assembly proceedings live.

The 2006 Umno AGM was the first to be telecast live.

Reiterating that stand today, Radzi said the decision of the supreme council was that it was "not needed this year."

Radzi also said Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was not planning on giving any 'tone-down' directives in his closed-door briefing to Umno delegates on the first day of this year's AGM.

"He will be talking from his heart, what he wants Umno to be in 50 years' time. I have a feeling that is what he is going to talk about," he said.

Earlier, Radzi said the party's management committee had discussed at length the issue of the presidential address on Nov 7, which may suffer lack of coverage due to the shutdown of many newspapers on account of Deepavali which falls on Nov 8.

Except for Malay dailies Utusan Malaysia and Kosmo!, and Chinese newspaper Oriental Daily , the other publications will not be distributed on Nov 8.

Only Jelutong suspended

Radzi, however, said party delegates and the public will have to resort to the reports of these three if they want to read the presidential address.

"The end result of it (discussions) is, we've decided, and we'll stick to (the decision). We'll use whatever resources that we have. If it's Utusan, Utusan, lah," he said.

"Although there will be no distribution (of some newspapers) on Deepavali day, we will try and use the resources that we have to distribute, especially in those hotels where the delegates are staying at and in the environs of the PWTC and in other places," he added.

Radzi said out of 191 divisions that had been slated to be represented at the AGM, only one - that of Jelutong - had been suspended and would not be participating.

"Everything's doing well. This year is not an election year, so the eagerness to represent divisions is not so great. There is an eagerness to be a delegate, but other years have seen greater eagerness," he said.

When asked repeatedly about concerns that Umno delegates would again deliver fiery speeches or raises keris during the speeches or debates this year, Radzi urged people not to be "so sensitive."

"What's wrong with (raising the keris)? Don't be so sensitive, lah. If we're over-sensitive with these kind of things, tak boleh, lah ."