Youth candidate fumes over Umno polls 'rule change'

An apparent last-minute change in rules on campaigning for the Umno polls has left Youth chief contender Syed Rosli Syed Harman Jamalullail fuming.

Questioning the legitimacy of the change, he said the apparent rule change is “unconstitutional” and erodes any moral high ground Umno may claim to have over the DAP.

“If Umno can change rules bound by the party constitution in an ad hoc nature, then we better not slam the DAP for not following their own constitution. People will now equate us to DAP,” he said.

He and four others are challenging incumbent Khairy Jamaluddin for the Youth chief’s post.

Syed Rosli (left) was commenting on Umno disciplinary committee acting chairperson Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas’ statement that polls candidates can campaign openly.

Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia frontpaged his remarks that candidates can campaign by introducing themselves as well as their mission and vision.

The daily reported that this follows complaints by candidates about the rules barring open campaigning, including hosting banquets.

“I have raised this with the disciplinary committee and they say they will investigate, but if they do not, I am considering lodging a complaint with the Registrar of Societies,” Syed Rosli said when met at the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Syed Rosli had also lodged a complaint with the disciplinary committee against Khairy for allegedly abusing his position as youth and sports minister to campaign for the party polls.

In his complaint, Syed Rosli, who is a Pandan Umno grassroots leader, said this goes against Article 5.5.1 of the party constitution.

Appending photographic evidence to his complaint, he said eyewitnesses, including division Umno Youth leaders, can testify that Khairy introduced Umno Youth exco candidates and spoke about the polls at the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex at 8.30pm on Oct 2.

Article 5.5.1 of the Umno constitution says that candidates for the supreme council must not campaign, unless at events organised by the party headquarters.

'MACC report'

Syed Rosli said he would also lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission this afternoon because Khairy has misused his cabinet post as well as public machinery.

But he was noncommittal when asked to compare this with BN caretaker ministers campaigning for Umno and BN during the general election.

“As I was only a grassroots member then, I had no avenue to protest this abuse of power by ministers for their own political interests,” he said.

“But this is the view of the society at large and Umno grassroots members specifically and I am using this avenue to raise this matter.”

Khairy has denied Syed Rosli's claim, and said it was just coincidental that the youth leaders he meets on a regular basis are also Umno Youth members and delegates. 

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