In its first meeting of the new year, the Umno Supreme Council made, not one, but two major mistakes. First, it nominated Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi for the party's top two posts. Then, it compounded the blunder by slapping a ban against potential challengers.

That the council's "instruction" to the party to avoid nominating anyone but Mahathir for party president shouldn't come as a surprise. The party did, at its General Assembly in 1995, pass a no-contest resolution for the two key posts in party polls the following year. It was widely considered, though vehemently denied, that the ruling was to ensure that Mahathir remained as the unchallenged party supremo.

This time, however, the political situation is different. Then, Mahathir was protecting himself. Now, he is protecting his deputy.

Indeed, Abdullah has never contested the deputy president post, one which was left vacant by sacked deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Clearly, the Supreme Council is asking the party to appoint, not elect, Abdullah to the post. In so doing, the supreme council is usurping the powers of Umno's highest decision-making body, the General Assembly, let alone the right of the party divisions to nominate, and vote for, a candidate of their choice.

No wonder, former opposition leader Lim Kit Siang was quick to enter the fray. In his characteristic Lim-style, he declared that "DAP is a million times more democratic than Umno!" Indeed, he has every reason to feel sore. After all, Lim was accused of being a DAP dictator in a newspaper advertisement taken out by anonymous, but apparently loaded, "BN supporters" during the election campaign.

In the wake of the announcement, there was the familiar chorus of support from party yesmen on the correctness of the council's decision. The declaration by Umno in Johor and Malacca on Monday that they would abide the council's decision and urge others to follow their lead is obviously meant to intimidate those who would even think about nominating anyone other than Mahathir and Abdullah.

Still, there is great unease among the grassroots. So much so that Mahathir has taken great pains to stress that the council's decision was merely an "advice". Even the sycophantic mainstream media have found it hard to defend such a blatantly undemocratic decision. Perhaps, they lamented, Abdullah should fight for his post. Surely this is not what Mahathir referred to when he spoke of Malaysia practising a form of democracy different from the West in his New Year's message.

Indeed, Umno has shifted the goal posts a number of times, making it near impossible for party hopefuls to dislodge the top incumbents. Already, a candidate for president needs to garner almost one-third of the nominations from the divisions, and for the deputy president post, one-fifth. Even without the no-contest ruling, few are expected to be able to mount a credible challenge. Clearly, the fear of being challenged was so strong that Mahathir had to stoop to such desperate measures.

On his part, Abdullah has berated non-Umno members who had criticised the Supreme Council's decision. True, outsiders do not have the right to meddle in internal party squabbles. However, the election of the top two posts should be of concern to all Malaysians. After all, the chosen ones will be leaders of this country.

Mahathir has said time and again about the need for a strong government. He misses the point here. What Malaysia needs is not so much a strong government, but a leader who can command the support, and respect, of Malaysians.