I have never been excited about the existence of Puteri Umno and I was never convinced that its formation as a strategy to revitalise `bedridden Umno' was a good idea from the beginning.

Firstly, it was started in haste when Umno realised it had a huge image problem after the sacking of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim. Secondly, it was formed and led by a then `nobody' in Umno and in public. Azalina Othman Said is an ordinary — maybe too ordinary — lawyer.

The post was given to Azalina, merely because she was once a moderator in NTV7's Dateline and most Umno leaders somehow thought she was a great woman lawyer. Maybe she was the greatest talent Umno could find at the time because it was having problems looking for highly educated and talented professionals to join the party.

The events at the time were making the `brainy ones' more inclined to support the opposition such as PAS, Keadilan, PRM or non-governmental organisations.

Azalina took the plunge because she probably thought that, being a loner and political outcast at the time, Umno would definitely need people like her.

After all, her father Othman Said was investigated for corruption during Anwar Ibrahim's time as the deputy premier and her hostility or hatred towards Anwar were good reasons for her to gain prominence in Umno.

Umno was desperate to see professionals, educated and mature youths in Umno. Its supporters were mainly those who are in hock up to the neck or on the payroll of the Umno-led government and thus unable to do much because of their businesses or maybe family commitments.

Other than that, they are all from the lower rank of supporters who are simply fanatics and Umno stalwarts who were born Umno members. So when the party leaders saw a Malay woman lawyer who seemed to have some communication skills, they roped in Azalina without hesitation only to find that their catch came with a string of controversies attached.

First, the allegations about Azalina being a lesbian and about the malpractices in Puteri's financial status, assets and so on began leaking out. Then came allegations about the threats to contenders for the chief post, poison pen letters and many more.

These were followed by claims that divisions were threatened into not nominating anyone other than Azalina herself. The ugly Umno culture of endorsement and no-challenge-to-leadership threat have now crept into Puteri Umno — Azalina is the candidate endorsed by the top leadership and members were expected to support the status quo.

One Puteri member who recently lodged a malpractice report with the police was hauled up by the party's disciplinary committee while Azalina was given 'protection'. So is Pak Lah is passing the ugly Umno culture to Puteri Umno?

For all we know, Azalina could win the contest (or is it a contest in the first place) by a big or maybe even landslide majority without being challenged. So much for talk on reforms and the promise of a new Umno in the new millennium. The Puteri Umno contest is another `joke of the year' in the political scenario. This is Malaysia boleh anyway.